A second chance at happiness
by Jihi
Summary: A sudden twist of fate causes Keitaro to lose him memory and he wakes up as a new person, what will happen to him when he meets someone new? Finished.
1. A Hateful Farewell and a Fateful Meeting

Disclaimer: I do NOT owe Love Hina, no matter how much I wish.

Chapter 1: A Hatful Farewell and a Faithful Meeting 

May 2000

Our opening scene begins with Hinata Sou, a majestic traditional Japanese building still in its glory, once a holiday inn now turned in to all girls dormitory and ran by strangely enough, a man, Urashima Keitaro the _mago_ of Urashima Hina the owner of said dorm. Being a man in a all girls dorm would seem like a dream to any hot blooded male, but if you were to ask Keitaro he would tell you else wise, the constant beatings he receives from the tenants would kill a normal man or any human but not the immortal ex-_Ronin _who is near indestructible let it be sword slashes, heavy artillery or bone crushing punches nothing can phase him… that is till today

We are in the _Kanrinrin_'s room where open books scattered everywhere each one opened to reveal complex mathematic equation and in the middle of the entire mess sits Urashima Keitaro as usually struggling with his studies,

"Argh…how do you do this stupid question?" throwing his hands up in surrender and then lying on his back " maybe Narusegawa can help?" he spied at the boarded up hole above him, which separated him from one of his tenants Narusegawa Naru, the long haired brunette with the looks of an _Tenshi _but the right hook oh a _oni_.

" Hey, Narusegawa could you help me with this calculus ques…" his sentence was cut short as he was met with a half dressed but very mad Naru, " Eh… wait I can explain… I … I …" him babbling trying to explain but all the words came out as nonsense as the extra blood was flowing to his head

" You _hentai_! I just woke up and the first thing in the morning  I see you peeping on me" she said through gritted teeth and whilst cracking her knuckles.

" Wait I didn't mean to! I just wanted to ask a question. I … ARGH!" a powerful blow sent him flying in to the atmosphere 

" _Hentai._" Putting her cloths on she walked out " maybe a nice dip in the hot springs would help."

Mean while above Tokyo an unknown object can be seen soaring through the sky at top speeds " Why me?" was the question Keitaro asked himself just then he spotted the park lake" Oh at least my landing will be soft" just as he said this he flew over the lake and crashed towards the trees, " ow, so much for soft landing". Whilst picking himself up he noticed that his body was hurting more than usual but considering this always happened he ignored it and began his long walk back to the dorm.

" Finally the last step… ha…ha…ha. I need…to get…some…sort of…lift…up…these stairs." These were the words of Keitaro as he finished climbing the dorm's stairs " I wonder if she's cooled off?" hw stared at the building.

" I'm back!" calling out to no one in particular 

" _Sempai_! I was so worried are you alright?" a concerned voice called out from the kitchen soon followed by the owner of the voice, Maehara Shinobu the youngest tenant of the dorm and caretaker of all the housework.

" I'm ok Shinobu-chan," he lied his body still aching  " I'm just hungry that's all"

" Well everyone else finished breakfast, I left yours on the table."

" _Arigato _Shinobu-chan you always treated me so well." He gave her a sincere smile and patted her on the head.

" It's okay _Sempai_," she quietly said blushing bright red

("Why does my body still hurt like this?") Keitaro said to him self as he sat down and began eating, suddenly he felt his stomach began to hurt " Oh… I can't eat this" spitting his food out holding his stomach.

" _Sempai_… you don't like my cooking?" Keitaro immediately looked up to see Shinobu standing at the door all teary eyed.

" Wait! It's not you food, it's just that my stomach…" he got up to explain to her but to no avail she had already ran off crying to her room.

" _Gomen Sempai_!" came the teary response

" Shinobu-chan wait! Ack Motoko-chan" to his horror he just ran into the local kendo expert unsheathing her sword " it's not what you think." He slowly stepped backwards hands frantically waving in front of him pleading for mercy.

" It's not what I think?" was the response of the angry woman " what _hentai_ thing were you trying to do to her, Urashima?" the patience in her voice wearing thin as she stepped closer sword now fully unsheathed.

" I swear nothing."

" LYIES URASHIMA!! DIE!! _ZANTETSUSEN!!_" a massive surge of _ki _came from Motoko's sword and directly at Keitaro.

" Twice in less than 4 hours." Were Keitaro's final words before he was once again sent flying.

" That'll teach you _hentai_."  Motoko smirked looking at the Keitaro shaped hole she had just made.

Once again above Tokyo " Why does it hurt so much today? Am I finally going to break?" Keitaro asked himself in mid flight holding his torso in pain.

A few hours later outside of Hinata Sou stood Keitaro torn clothing and wounds visible all over him, " my body it's…breaking apart, slowly but I'm sure of it. They won't believe me if I told them, I better lay low." As he walked through the doors an idea struck him " I know I'll just stay in my room, sleep and recover, yeah I can stay out of trouble that way." Smiling to himself for coming up with such a great idea.

"I made it and with out any hassle." Keitaro sighed a breath of relief as he closed the door to his room. " Ah my futon is still out, ew! What's that smell?" Keitaro's nosed twitch as he picked up a veil sent of alcohol in the air, (" I think I'll just open some windows and get some sleep"). And so he did and when he opened the window he took in a deep breath of fresh air, but just as quickly as he breathed in he coughed hard, falling to the ground clutching his ribs.

(" The pain! I just need some rest that's all!") He crawl over to his futon and snuggled in, (" This is so warm, hey? What's this? It feels soft and round.") He grabbed the object harder.

" Mmmm…" Came a soft moan. 

("Oh no it can't be.") Slowly he began to lift the blanket with his free hand hoping that his hand wasn't holding what he think it was, but to his horror it was what he thought, he was groping Kitsune's ample chest. " Oh no."

" Mmmm… Keitaro trying to take me?" Kitsune Konno the local trickster gave him a quick wink, " I don't know what Naru-chan will think though."

 " Oh. My god!! I'm so sorry!" he jumped to his feet apologizing.

"Hee…hee… you'll have to get me more drunk first." She slipped down her clothing down to her shoulders showing off her cleavage 

Suddenly the door bursts open due to a flying kick delivered by one Kaolla Su the ever-hyperactive _gaijin _of unknown origin. " Hey Keitaro what are you doing? Ooo..." she stares at Keitaro then at the half naked Kitsune " Ooo… Keitaro's going to get laid." She sung dancing around " What's getting laid?" she asked them.

" No! It's not that!"

" Keitaro! What the hell are you doing?" Naru popped her head down the hole furious at him "I'm trying to study…" 

 She trailed however upon seeing Kitsune's state and she quickly dropped down to the ground driving her foot in to Keitaro's body. " YOU _HENTAI_!" she growled at the poor ex-_ronin _" Kitsune-chan did he do anything to you?" she asked her in a much softer tone.

" He…he tried to take me." She pretends to cry on Naru's shoulder. By now everyone else had gathered at Keitaro's room. All staring at him.

" You disgust me, Urashima." Motoko giving him a death glare

" _Sempai_!" was Shinobu reaction to the seen on the verge of tears 

" Please! All of you it's not what you think." Keitaro desperately pleading with them.

" You _Hentai_." Naru rose to feet her back facing him her face shadowed.

" Narusegawa, please."

" DIE!!" she pulled her arm back to deliver him her most powerful punch ever 

(" I'm dead, I won't be able to survive this.") Naru's fist made contact with Keitaro's head sending him flying through the window beyond the horizon.

" How could you?" Naru's silently said to herself as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Somewhere above the ocean:

("I can't hold on any longer,… I can't feel my body… I can't even stay… awake…I") 

SPLASH!!

Keitaro's half dead, unconscious battered body hit the cold hard ocean, where he'll go the ocean tide will decide.

It's been hours since Keitaro's been adrift the life slowly draining away from him, just as all hope seems lost the tides change and carries him to a nearby small island.

" Ahhh… its such a great day." Said a beautiful young woman in a light and blue sundress as she stretched her arms enjoying the sunshine and the feeling of the sand between her toes " I wonder what will happen today? Who knows maybe I'll find a man! Ha ha ha!" she laughed to herself the trees behind her sweatdropped " Nah. Just kidding." She waved it off and continued her stroll down the beach. Just then she spotted something, an unknown object lying in the shore.

" What's that?" she rushed over to investigate and to discover Keitaro seriously wounded, clothing torn, gashes and bruises all over, his body was cold and pale, " Oh, my God! Hey you ok?" she shook him violently and then stopped realising what she's just done " Ack! What am I doing?  Hey wait I'll carry you back to the village just hang out." She quickly draped his arms around her neck and rushed off to the forest towards the village.

End of chapter 1

Japanese terms

_Mago_-Grandchild

_Ronin_-A masterless _Samurai_ (a warrior). Or a high school drop out. 

_Kanrinrin_- roughly translates temporary manager

_Tenshi_-angel

_Oni_-demon

_Hentai_-pervert

_Sempai_-Senior

_Arigato_-Thank you

_Gomen_-Sorry

_Zantetsusen_- translates slicing steel sword I think

_Ki_-Spiritual energy

_Gaijin_-Foreigner

Author's notes 

My first fanfic so please be merciful, I promise it'll get better, give me some pointers please R+R.  


	2. A new identity

Disclaimer: I do not owe Love Hina and it's cast but the other characters are all my personal creations.

Note: Well I've read the reviews and I would like to thank you all for the pieces of advice given, I've reduced the amount of Japanese in this chapter down to nouns and honorific terms, so enjoy.

A New Identity 

Mid May 2000

An unknown location

" Where am I?" Keitaro asked himself as he was lying on the ground engulfed in darkness.

"Doc, he's been like this for a week and still he hasn't woken. Are you sure he's OK?" echoed a feminine voice in the darkness.

"Who's there?" he asked but no answer.

" It's has been quite a while now but he's definitely in the clear, I mean look at his wounds most of them have already healed. It's actually quite amazing really, I mean considering the extent of his wounds when you found him they would've killed any ordinary man, yet he somehow survived. It's baffling how he did!" echoed another voice but this one seems older.

" No. What's baffling is how he ended up that way." Replied the first voice seemingly more annoyed at the second voice " So, will he be OK or not?"

" He should be fine in no time."

" WHEN is no time?" 

" Days, or another week perhaps?"

" THAT DOESN'T HELP!"

" I'm sorry I truly don't know, but soon."

" But…" 

" Shhh… you two will wake him up, let him rest." A third older voice interrupted, "and Reiko-chan, show more respect to your elders, Doctor Ishida has tried her best now let fate handle this young man."

" But granddad…"

"Be quite Reiko-chan."

" Yes, granddad. Oh…er…Doc I'm sorry, it's just that I'm… you know," the first voice toning down a little apologizing to the second

"It's quite alright I know your concerned."  The second voice replied softly.

" Alright you two, leave and let him rest." The third voice told them softly

Footsteps can be heard leaving and a door closing.

" What was that?" he asked but once again no reply " Argh… so tired." Soon Keitaro closed his eyes from fatigue embraced by the darkness that is his mind.

Bach at Hinata Sou

Two girls were sitting in the living discussing the events of their missing manager.

" It's been a week where is that _baka_?" Naru asked Kitsune

" Hmm… you did hit him quite hard… (hic)" Kitsune once again drunk on alcohol 

" So! He deserved it! He tried to… you know…" her voice seems embarrassed 

"Oh! That! I was drunk and needed… to…er lay down and I just happen to pass by Keitaro's room and I know he wouldn't mind if I slept in his bed." She gave her friend a have drunk smile finishing off what's left of her drink.

"What! But he tried to seduce you!" 

" Oh that… oh it's all gone… hmm." She peered down her empty bottle, " I was only playing with him, did you see the expression on your face. It was priceless you looked so shocked, ha ha ha ha, just like that now." She pointed to Naru's shocked expression

" It… was… a… PRANK!!" Naru's body was surrounded by a red and black battle aurora.

" Calm down Naru-chan!" fear clearly in her voice as she tried to calm her friend and avoid a horrible beating. " It was just a prank." Now she was running for her life taking cover behind the door, trying to avoid the inevitable wraith that was to come. 

BOOM!!!!

Naru's anger unleashed causing a massive explosion within the dorm destroying most of the living room.

"Err maybe we should look for him," Kitsune suggested crawling out from the door.

"Yeah, we should." Naru replied anger now clearly gone (" Keitaro, I'm sorry. What have I done?")   

Back at the unknown location

"Ahh… the light…" Keitaro's eyes winched as he opened them since a very long time, pain struck his eyes as they have become so used to the darkness, it took him a while but eventually his eyes got use to the light, but there was another problem…

" I can't see… everything's a blur."

" Hey! Granddad I'll check up on our patient!" Yelled a voice

(" I heard that voice before.")

" Keep your voice down he's probably still asleep."

"Okay!" then the door opened to show a girl walking in with bundles of bandages and a wash cloth, it was the same girl from the beach as before, upon entering she dropped the items due to shock as she realised that Keitaro is now fully awake and staring at her.

" Granddad!! Get the Doc!! He's awake!!" she yelled out the door

Moments later

A old man about the girl's shoulder height came in followed by a woman wearing a white doctors coat carrying a black bag, both surprised to see Keitaro awake, she sat herself in front of Keitaro and began to unpack.

"Alright now young man, can you see how many fingers I'm holding up?"  She held out three fingers in front of him.

" I'm sorry. I can't see it's all blurred." Shaking his head 

" Now can you see?" she moved her hand closer

"Yeah, now I can, three fingers?"

"Hmmm. Just as I thought short sighted." She mused rubbing her chin, "Reiko-chan do you have his glasses?" she turned towards the girl

"What you mean these?" she pulled something out of the desk draw revealing them to be Keitaro's glasses, shattered. " God, these glasses are thick! What are you blind?" 

"Reiko-chan how rude! You shouldn't say that to the poor young man." The old man snapped at her

"Sorry, but they are thick." Holding them out emphasizing her point.

"Well I knew he needed glasses but I don't think I have anything that strong so I brought a pair of the strongest contacts I could find but they're green." She pulled them out from her bag " But still, try them on anyway it wouldn't hurt." She handed them to Keitaro and he immediately tries them on, after a few failed attempts he finally got them on.

"Can you see now?" 

After squinting a few time adjusting to his new contacts his vision finally focusing he saw them for the first time the people that have been tending to his wounds, the first person he laid eyes upon was the woman sitting in front of him who he deduced to be the doctor, she seemed friendly enough giving him a warm smile, she seems to be in her late 20's, long dark brown braided hair but had two strands hung freely on either side of her face, she also had dark brown eyes which you could get lost in.

The second person he laid eyes on was the old man standing besides a girl, he was hunched over hands behind him, his eyes were narrow slits so Keitaro couldn't tell what colour his eyes were, he seemed fairly old as he was bald and had a long white beard.

The third person he laid eyes upon was the girl, who captivated him the most, she seemed to be in her late teens or early 20's she had medium lengthed brown hair slightly above her neck, she also had clear emerald eyes and smooth white skin, and possessed a figure that any woman would want she was wearing the same blue and white sundress as before, there was something about her that he couldn't take his eyes off her, while she just stared back at him confused.

"Hello." The doctor waved her hand in front of him.

"Oh, yeah I can see perfectly, thank you."

"Hey! You look quite cute with green eyes, better than wearing these things." Tossing the glasses back into the desk draw. 

"Good. Now that you're awake would you like to tell us who you are? And how you ended up the way that you are?" all three stared at Keitaro.

"Well…I'm…" he stopped a look of puzzlement on his face soon turning to pain and frustration," I don't…know."

Silence befell upon the room

 "Hmmm. Just as I thought. Amnesia" She mused once again rubbing her chin.

"You seem to know a lot, Doc." The young girl said to her annoyed

"Who am I, and where am I?" he asked them

"Hmmm. Let's begin with a few introductions shall we? I'm Doctor Ishida Shiroiko Doctor of the local client and you're on _Aoi _(Blue) Island a small island about 150 miles SE of Japan. And this is Kane Ichiro-san." She indicated to the old man.

"Hello there young man." He greeted Keitaro

"And the young lady standing next to him is his granddaughter, Kane Reiko." This time Dr. Ishida indicated towards the teen.

"Hey!" she warmly greeted him

"And you hmmm… what should we call you." All attention focused on Keitaro

"…"

"I know how about _Tadayoi_?" Reiko suggested

"Drift?" the granddad asked

"Yeah, I mean he did literally _drift_ into our lives." 

"I agree with Reiko-chan, though the name is strange it suits him well."

"Well alright then, but lets ask the young man in question." He turned to face Keitaro

"Well I guess it's better than no name, but it is a bit strange." He replied looking down his bandaged, "what did happen to me?"

"We don't know either, we were hoping that you could've told us, Reiko-chan found you on the beach almost dead, she and I treated to your wounds."

"Yeah, we bandaged you head to toe, all over and I do mean _'all over'_." Her line of sight moving down his body. Seeing this he slowly began to lift his blanket to examine his bandaged body and indeed he was bandaged head to toe ' _everywhere all over_' he stared towards the two women present, who blushed and immediately looked away.

"Well as a Doctor, I do this all the time." She nervously said, "…but you happen to be the first, thought I never thought that I would be exploring that part of the human anatomy so soon."

"Well you were seriously injured, and we were worried." Reiko fidgeted uncomfortably still blushing bright red.

"I can' t believe you two, you've shamed the young man." Granddad told both of them off harshly.

"We were concerned that's all, oh and don't worry about your ability to reproduce, it isn't jeopardized it's only temporary, give it a few days and you should recover. But when you go to _relieve_ yourself it might hurt a bit but don't worry that too is also temporary. " At that comment everyone in the room went bright red.  

"Ahem. Well the young man has enough excitement for the day lets leave and let him get some real rest." The granddad ushered them out of the room.

"Oh! When you feel better come see me at my clinic I'll tell you what the extent of your injuries are."

"OK! Thank you Doctor." When the door finally closed Keitaro laid on his back and began to think about what has just happened.

("So I have amnesia, don't have a clue who I am, was, and lost. I'm screwed.") He continued to stare at the ceiling of his room ("Well at least theses people are nice enough. They looked after me when I was injured and they even gave me a name…_Tadayoi_…my new name…my new identity.")  

End of chapter 2

Author's notes:

Well I hope you all like this chapter and the new characters, they'll be involved a lot in Keitaro's stay on the island. For the next chapter or two I'll be concentrating on the new characters and build on Keitaro and Reiko's relationship, and I'll be referring Keitaro as Tadayoi from now no. I don't actually know how long I'll make this fic, depends really, and one more thing I need someone to read over my work before I send it off, R+R keep giving pointers. 


	3. The Reconstruction

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina but I do own the islanders.

Note: I read the reviews and some of them are lengthy and I mean it, seems like everyone agrees on the same mistakes, so I'll try to work on them.  Any text in*-* means you don't have to read it, and any thing in ( ) means thoughts. Well here it goes!

The reconstruction 

Mid May 2000

At _Aoi_ island, Kane family house

Tadayoi had just woken up from his slumber and was greeted by the gentle warm glow of the morning sun, "It's sure a nice day," putting on his contacts he made his way down to the living room to look for one of his saviours to give them a proper thank you as he headed down he heard loud noises and decided to rush down to investigate the source, to his relief it was just the TV and behind it was Reiko shouting something and watching in excitement at the same time.

"Damn you! F5 him! Do it!" she shouted, noticing him she turned to him "Hey Tadayoi-kun! Feeling better today?" 

Thud! The TV emitted.

"Aw damn I missed it! Oh well see it on replay."

"Um, excuse me Kane-san…" she stared at him stopping him mid sentence.

"Kane-san? Hey listen Tadayoi-kun no one, not even the Doc calls me that, don't be so formal call me Reiko-chan will you?" 

"Well…OK," he got on to his knees, "erm Reiko-chan first I would like to thank you and your grandfather for saving my life and I don't know how to repay you."  

"Hey Hey! Hold it right there! Listen I don't like when I'm being treated so formally so just relax, and tell me what's on your mind." She turned the TV off and indicated for him to sit up, which he did as they both sat down by the table facing each other. "So, what's up?"

"I was wondering if you would take me to see Dr. Ishida about my condition."

"Sure. Granddad told me to anyway."

"Where is your Grandfather?" he looked around seeing no sign of the old man.

"He's up in the mountains, meditating, cleansing his soul and stuff, I was suppose to go with him but he told me to look after you instead." She saw a sad look on his face, "Oh no, it's not like you any trouble." She relaxed a bit after she clearing the misunderstanding, "Heh, well I should thank you, you got me out of training. Well then, get dressed and I'll take you there now." 

Slowly as he up got, he tripped on one of the table's legs and landed on top of her, their faces mere inches away.

"I think you are being a little too informal Tadayoi-kun." She smiled at him 

"I'm sorry!" he jumped up apologizing frantically arms in front of him trying to protect himself, his eyes tightly shut.

"Hey don't worry about it was accident and you apologised, why do you have your hands up for defence mode??? It's not like I'm not going to hit you or anything

"I don't know. I just did it, like it was a natural reaction." He stared at his hands.

"Hmmm? Weird, well lets go."  

Outside Tadayoi began to take in the scenery around him, the blue sky, the green lush palm trees, the sound of the ocean nearby all of which eased his nerves but there was a gigantic rock on the front porch that caught his eye the most, eyeing it suspiciously he just assumed it to be a normal rock and shrugged it off.

"Hey! You coming or not?" she asked him walking away

"Oh yeah coming!" he rushed up to her

"What were you looking at?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing just a rock."

("A rock? We don't have a rock on the front porch.") She thought for a minute (" Oh! He must mean that… oh well guess I'll tell him later.")  Shaking her head she walked alongside with Tadayoi to the clinic.

At Doctor Ishida's clinic

The two had just arrived and made their way to the doctor's room.

"Well if it isn't Tadayoi-kun and Reiko-chan. I've been expecting you two." The Doctor greeting them, "I suppose it's to check up?"

"Yes doctor, I want to know what happened to me." He asked her staring at the floor waiting for the worst.

"Hey, don't look so worried you're in the clear now, so let's start. First I'll tell what I can tell you." She got up and put up some x-ray films on the device and switched it on, a picture of a skull shone through. " This is your skull, Ok now, look at this part of the skull here." She pointed to the left section of the skull, "You see this lump here, it is the reason for your amnesia, your brain has swollen due to an incredible impact, thank God that your skull is thicker than normal thus it took the majority of the impact otherwise you would be insane or even dead." She switched it off and sat back down, " now this brings me to my second point, how it happened. The only explanation I can give is if a car hit you or some other vehicle at very high speeds and caused you to ricochet off the floor numerous times, but that does not explain how you ended up in the ocean, unless you were in a plane and it exploded but that would've probably killed you and there weren't any planes near by. Those are the only reasons that I can think of."

"Ahh Doc, they aren't very good reasons."

"I know, but what else is there? He was launched into the air manually by a powerful punch and flew heaven knows how many miles? That is impossible!" she laughed as she told them.

Reiko thought about it for a second, "Yeah. What are the chances of that happening?" 

"Is that actually possible?" he asked them both.

"I really doubt it. I don't think make normal people can pull that off" Reiko said.

"By the way, Tadayoi-kun aside from the wounds you have now I also found other wounds on you that were healing for at least weeks all over you, can you explain?"

"Well, I…"

"Doc he can't remember." Reiko interrupted him

"Oh, I forgot." She rubbed the back of her head

"But you just told us a second ago!" both them shouted.

"Heh, heh sorry. Well the wounds indicates that you were under constant physical abuse, at first your body coped with it, but eventually your tissue, especially the muscle tissue exceeded its limit of damage and just couldn't cope with it anymore, you see naturally when we damage ourselves our cells repair themselves and become stronger through a natural steady progression providing you give yourself time to heal, it's like weight lifting… however you must have been very ill that day or depressed and then you suffered continuous and more powerful blows than usual to your body which lead to your current state."

"Doc how does being depressed affects him?"

"It's simple really when we're depressed there is a mechanism in our brain that releases hormones it could be due to stress or the mood, but the hormones affects us in many ways, loss of appetite, felling weak, and such."

"Oh, is that why I'm like this? Will I be OK?"

"Don't worry, like I said, natural steady progression, during your coma your body was given time to heal itself, once your fully healed you'll probably be stronger than you were before, but for now take it easy."

"Thanks, but when will I remember everything again?"

"That's a tricky one, usually when a person loses their memory it's best that they go back to their normal daily routine and it'll all eventually come back, but we don't know where your from, you don't even know your own name."

"So it's hopeless." He eyed the floor eyes glazed all over staring at space.

"Doc!"

"No no no no, that's not what I meant, it'll just take longer that's all, when the swelling shrinks." she frantically explain   

"Really? How long?" he stared at her eyes full of hope.

"Er, well…soon…"

"When Doc? When?" Reiko asked her bluntly 

"I don't know…" she turned away from them

Silence befell upon the room 

"Thanks Doc." He smiled at her

"I'll tell you more when I find out anything new. Well you can leave now." She opened the door for them to leave but she noticed Reiko just standing there "is there anything I can help you with Reiko-chan?"

"Yeah Doc, can I talk to you," she stared at Tadayoi for a while, "Alone?"

"Of course…" she eyed her curiously, "Tadayoi-kun can you leave us alone for a minute?" 

"Sure…" he left the room and closed the door but he could still here their conversation.

"Doc, I'm a bit worried will he ever be OK?" she sounded concerned.

"He'll be OK physically very soon, but if you mean mentally… that I'm not too sure of. Listen, we can't help him regain his memory directly so let's help his intellectual side that'll probably stimulate his mind but I'm not sure if that'll actually work."

"Anything worth's a try Doc."

"So did you apply him for that school that I asked?"

("School what school?")

"Yeah, but it was hard. They didn't want just anyone to enter, thank God your letter of admission helped. They want to see him today for an interview and give him a mock test…but Doc the entrance exam is hard are you sure he'll get in?"

"I don't know, but I feel that he can do it. I don't know why but I just know he can." 

"OK, I'll take him later at about 1." There was silence in the room, "why are you looking at me like that Doc."

"Reiko-chan, don't you remember what I told you a few days ago, when he wakes up his body will need stimulation."

"Oh, Doc you know I can't do that, what will granddad think?"

Tadayoi blushes bright red at that comment.

"NOT THAT KIND OF STIMULATION! YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!"

"Ha ha ha, clam down Doc. I know what you mean, I've talked to granddad and he agrees."

"Good. It's getting late now shouldn't you be on your way."

"Yeah."

"Wait, Reiko-chan can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, what?"

"Why are you so concerned for him?"

"Er… well, you know…it's a well u see… hmm… well I just don't want to see someone suffer like he has, I just want to help…" her voice didn't seem convincing however.

"Do you have a thing for?"

"Doc!"

"Hehe just kidding…you're being very kind to him, sort of reminds me of your mum and dad."

"Yeah…, well I better go now."

("Why has she been so kind to me, why? Oh no!") He quickly moved away as he heard footsteps come closer to the door and just in time too. As Reiko got out she gave him a warm smile.

"You ready to go?"

"Where?" he fringed innocent knowing very well where they were about to go 

"To school, well university."

"University?" ("I thought she literally meant school.")

"Come on let's go." She took his hand and led him outside through the streets ignoring the stares.

("Why did she just take my hand like that, out of the blue?") He stared at there hands and slowly blushed, ("It feels so soft.") She turned her head and faced him giving him another warm sincere smile. ("She's so beautiful.") She then stopped suddenly in front of a building causing him to bang into her.

"Hey watch where you're going and what were you staring at?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare at you, no I mean I'm sorry for walking into you…I… I… I …" he waved his arms frantically about.

"Calm down, we're here." She turned around and faced the building, which made him look up. It was a fairly large building with educational posters all over it.

"What is this place?"

"It's a distant learning centre."

* "What does it do?" *

* "Well, this island is a fairly small island with this village/town being the only settlement the rest being forests and mountains, and the nearest city is on mainland, hours away it's hard to get a decent education unless you leave the island, sure we have play schools, primary (kindergarten) schools and some high schools but not very good ones and that's it, no universities what so ever. This caused a problem because the young people started to leave the island, leaving the old people behind so they solved this problem by starting this distant learning program. Basically kids just apply for a university of their choice, wait for a response and take a supervised entrance exam when the rest of the applicants are taking it wherever they are kind of like the real thing, and when you pass they send study material over to you for you to study, and you take the final exam when other people do. It's not exactly like the real thing but it's better than nothing." *

"So why are we here?"

"You're still a bit slow Tadayoi-kun, I signed you up for an entrance exam, you're a bit late but they made a exception because this year this particular Uni didn't get many applicants most of them failed the entrance exam, this year's test being the hardest in the last 5 years, but I made it…just barely, so I'm sure you can make it."

"A test? Now! What?? I'm not ready!"

"Sure you are." She shoved him into the building, "They're expecting you."

"At least tell me the Uni I'm applying for."

"Todai." Was her only response. 

("Todai? I've heard of it before, but where?")

"Come on hurry."

"Hey wait." He protested but to no avail as she threw him into the testing room where he sat at the single desk all by himself in front of the 3 supervisors, "Gook luck." She whispered to him as she left the room.

"Begin your test." One of the supervisors announced

(" Oh, no I haven't studied, I don't even know what to study!") He stared at the paper in front of him, (" At least it's multiple choice, here goes nothing.") He began filling in the squares one by one praying that they were right, meanwhile Reiko peered through the door wishing him luck.

End of chapter 3

A/N: Well I finished, sorry about the delay, but it's been hard, school practicals and work. Sorry the chapter's a bit dull but it's for the purpose of explanation every thing will return to normal next chapter, so please no flamings.    


	4. Freed from the past

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina but I do own the islanders.

Note: Err… I don't know what to say. Anything in ( ) means thoughts and[] means comments 

Freed from the past 

Mid May 2000

At Aoi Island, outside Distant Learning Centre.

Two people have just exited the centre, one of them was fairly happy dancing around the other, whereas the other was very very shocked.

"I can't believe you past the entrance exam so easily, with almost perfect marks!" Reiko said joyfully to the Tadayoi, " did you see the expression on the supervisors' faces it was so funny."

"I don't know myself, I just knew. My hands just started writing." He replied to her still shocked.

" Well who cares, you got in and on your first go! I just got in this year but I failed twice before that." 

"It feels like I did it all before like I already knew the answers."

"What? You mean that you failed so many times that you knew the format?" she asked him 

He thought for a while, "Nah I don't think so! What type of sad thicko fails so many times that they know the answers off by heart?"  

"Yeah!"

They both laughed at his comment, but just then Tadayoi felt a sharp pain in his heart.

"Hey? You ok?" she asked him concerned seeing that he had his hand over his heart.

"Yeah, I'm ok." He assured her.

"Your not having some sort of relapse are you?"

"No it's not that sort of pain." She looked at him strangely, " You know the type of pain when someone insults you about something close to you." He sees her nod "That type of pain, it feels like someone just insulted me that way." 

"Again weird, maybe someone's talking about you behind your back."

"Yeah, that's probably it. So where do we go now." He asked her

"Well since you passed this exam, all you have to do now is to past tomorrow's exam, which I don't think will be too hard for you," she gave him a smirk, " And you're in, simple as that."

"Oh I see, ok then but why did you apply yourself and me for Todai?" he asked some what curious, " I mean you yourself said you failed twice before."

"Well it's the best there is in the area that's why, and besides I heard that going to Todai will bring happiness," she saw him looking at her in a odd way, " I know it's probably a old folk's tale but still I believe in that stuff about happy ever after and all."

"No no, I think it's sweet but…" he paused unsure whether to tell her or not. ("Todai…happy ever after I've heard all of this before but where?") 

"But what?" She asked him snapping him out of his thoughts.

"No nothing, just thinking to myself."

"Don't think too hard. You hungry?"

"Err…what?" he asked dumb folded.

"Are you hungry, I mean you have been in a coma for about a week." a hint of sarcasm in her voice

"Well now that I think about it…" just then his stomach rumbles loudly

"That answers my question." She stared at him

"Sorry." He scratched the back of his head embarrassed.

"Don't be, I figured as much come with me." She once again took his hand and led him down town.

" Where are we going?"

"To eat of course."

Back at Hinata Sou

It has been over a week since the dorm's manager disappearance and after much explanation from one person, who shall remain nameless, the tenants decided to look for him. Naru is currently sitting in the living room looking over the town map, looking over locations circled in red, aside from the map there were pens and missing posters all over the table and a mug filled with cold coffee untouched.

"Where are you Keitaro?" Naru asked herself.

"Naru-sempai we're back." Someone at the door announced.

"Motoko-chan is that you, where's Shinbou-chan?" she asked walking to the door.

"I'm here." Shinobu appeared behind Motoko closing the door behind her.

"Did you find anything?" Naru asked them hope in her voice.

But neither answered nor even look at her, the expressions on their faces told her what they found.

"I'm sorry Naru-sempai, we've tried everyone and everywhere." Motoko told her a hint of remorse in her voice.

"Why hasn't sempai called us yet, do you think some thing happened to him?" Shinobu asked on the verge of tears.

"No Shinobu," Naru knelt down and hugged her tight, "he's done this before remember, and he was fine."

"But he called back then, this time he hasn't." 

"Well… I'm sure it's because he has his reasons." She answered. Although uncertain herself, both other girls in the room also picked up on this.

"Why don't we go see how Su-chan is fairing, her Mecha-tamas are searching for him as we speak." Motoko suggested breaking the tense atmosphere.

"Er yeah let's go." Naru got up and led the trio up to Su's room.

As they entered her room they were greeted by a rainforest of some sort but that at this moment in time didn't bother them, they were more concerned about the owner of the room who is sitting in the middle of it typing at a computer and wearing a strange head gear with 3 eyes and wires sticking out of it linked to the ceiling and surrounded by many large monitors each with a different display, by her was a fully sober Kitsune, well half. [I know unlikely, but she's concerned and scared.] 

"Hey, did you lot find anything?" Kitsune asked the trio

"No, that's why we're here." Naru answered, "How are you doing?"

"Well, Su's using her Mecha-tama spies to look for Keitaro, we've searched all of Japan and no results, we've even tried the databases to see if he's used any cash or stayed anywhere but so far nutta."

"Hmmm… Su can't find him in Japan." Su murmured 

"You mean he's left the country again?" Naru asked

"Mmmm…" Kitsune replied rather uncertain

"You mean that coward Urashima just left like that?" an enraged Motoko asked

"No, Sempai." Shinobu was once again on the verge of tears.

"I don't think so." Kitsune said plainly

"Huh?" the 3 girls replied in unison.

"Well Su hacked…er… I mean accessed the airport and dock databases and found he hasn't left the country. And besides." She pulled something out from behind her, " he can't leave without this." She showed them his passport. "I found it in his room."

"So he's still in the country." Naru said, " I know he's probably with his relatives." There was hope in her voice as she said that.

"I doubt it." A monotonic voice said from the doorway. All attention turned to the source and saw that it was Haruka, the missing manager's aunty.

"What do you mean, Haruka-san?"

"I checked and he isn't with any one." She replied lighting a cigarette in the process. "His mum asked what was wrong, but I managed to dodge the question and told them he was off relaxing and has he stopped by."

("So where can he be?") Naru thought to herself, however before she could ponder over this question a loud beeping can be heard.

"ATTENTION! ATTENTION! UNIT 03 HAS DISCOVERES!" the computer's robotic voice announced while all screen displayed the same message.

"Su found something! Su found something!" Su got up and started dancing.

"Well then Su put it on the main screen." Kitsune practically yelled at her.

(" This is it, come on Keitaro.") Naru cheered in her mind. The tension slowly rose as Su typed in commands on her computer, every second seems like minutes, surprisingly Haruka didn't seem bothered.

"There got it!" Su announced and she punched in the final key, all the screens switched to the same display to show not Keitaro but something else… 

"Bananas!" Su cheered, " 2 bunch for 1 sale down town, yay!" getting up she tossed her helmet aside and started dancing. Everyone in the room including Haruka fell to the ground.

"Su! We don't want bananas!" they all got up and yelled at her causing her to freeze in place and her hair fluttering.

"But Su hungry…" she replied innocently.

"Think about eating later!" Naru snapped at her.

"What…but…" Su had tears slowly building up in her eyes.

"No, I mean, I'm sorry I'm just worried." Naru approached her and gave her a hug.

"OK!" Su replied happily and clamped on to her giving her a tight hug.

"Su! Let go… can't breath…"

"Sorry." She released her and landed on her feet.

After several deep breaths Naru finally spoke, " Su I wish you had a better way of finding Keitaro."

"Su does!"

"What?" everyone asked.

"This!" she produced a flat circle object out of nowhere and showed everyone it, "this is a DNA scent radar." 

"Huh?" was everyone's reply.

"You see everyone has their own unique DNA and it gives off different chemical scents, unique to that person only. With this radar we can track Keitaro down."

Once again everyone fell to the floor. " Then why didn't we use that?" they all asked.

"Well it's Su's secret weapon."

"Then how does it work?" Kitsune asked.

"You put that person's DNA sample here." She took out a slide from the radar. "And the radar analyses the sample and sends out a signal matching the scent and when it does it beeps and shows how close you are to the source. I'll show you." She walked up to Shinobu and plucked a hair out causing her to flinch from the pain, and then she inserted the hair in to the radar. After some mechanical noises the radar started beeping.

"It works." Naru said cheerfully.

"Of course." Su proudly announced. " All we need is Keitaro's DNA sample."

"I can get that." Shinobu quietly volunteered all stares adverted at her causing her to blush, each had the same question in their gazes, how?    

"Well Sempai has a comb, I saw him use before it has some hair in its teeth." 

"Oh yeah, now I remember, I'll go get it." Kitsune said walking off, seconds later she came back with a comb and handed it over to Su in which she extracted a sample and inserted the sample. But nothing happened.

"Err…Su why is nothing happening?" Kitsune asked.

"Hmmm…" Su examined the radar, " Ah, Su remembers, the radar only has a 20 meter radius!"  

Again everyone falls to the floor. "Then Su why did you make it!?" Naru asked very annoyed with the turn of events.

"To track down Tama for my turtle soup." She inserted a scale into the radar which started beeping, drooling she ran to the hallway and saw Tama flying about, "Here Tama, Here Tama." She chased the turtle with a knife and fork in each hand.

"No Su! Tama isn't meant for eating!" Shinobu yelled giving chase.

"Well I better get back to my tea house," a sweat drop formed on Haruka's head, "But still good luck in your search." She said to Naru.

The remaining girls in the room tried to comfort Naru but to no avail she was far too depressed she had had her shattered too many times in one day. Kitsune signalled for Motoko for them to leave giving her friend some space. As they left and shut the door Naru let out a yell.

"KEITARO YOU BAKA!!! WHERE ARE YOU???!!!"

At Aoi Island, at a seaside restaurant [think volume 8 of manga near the end]

Reiko and Tadayoi had just sat down by the window for a meal but just then.

"Hmm?" Tadayoi looked up  

"What's wrong Tadayoi-kun?" Reiko asked him

"No nothing, I thought someone called me."  He returned to his plate of food.

"I didn't hear anyone call you." She looked around, "So how do you enjoy your meal?" she asked him

"Hmm?" he mumbled with food in his mouth quickly he swallowed, "Great! I didn't know the owner of this restaurant!" he said surprised 

"Well my granddad owns it. I'm just a cook that's all."  Just then a waitress passes by.

"Hey Reiko-chan, aren't you hungry?" the waitress asked.

"No, not really I'll eat later." She watched Tadayoi wolf down another plate, "but would you get another plate for him." Upon finishing the plate Tadayoi chokes and beats his chest frantically his face turning red, " Hey! Here drink this water." She got up walked towards him and handed him a cup of water.

The waitress watched in amusement at the scene in front of her and walked off to get another plate of food.

"Slow down Tadayoi, there's plenty more." She stroked his back and gave him a warm smile causing his face to go redder than it already was.

"Err… Reiko-chan can I ask you something?" Tadayoi asked looking down.

"Yeah, what?"

"Why are you being so kind to me?"

"Well…" she sat down facing him, " you remind me of a person from a story my mum used to tell me, but that was a very long time ago." She that in a depressed tone and a sad expression slowly crept on her face as though remembering something painful.

("She doesn't look too happy, I guess I said something wrong, I better not ask any more.") He thought to himself, " Well hey the food's good, heh heh." He said trying to break the mood.

"Huh?" she stared at him her expression slowly brightening up, "well yeah of course, Kane family restaurant is the best in the area." She announced proudly hand on her chest.

("Good at least she's feeling better.") He looked past her and saw a slightly raised platform, "Hey Reiko-chan what's that platform over there?" he pointed towards it.

"Oh that…er," her face began to blush, "Well I used to do a stand up comedy act on that stage, but I wasn't very good I didn't get any response from the crowd." Her face still red her head hanged down.

"How bad can it be? I want to hear a joke."

"No." she replied shyly

("Is she embarrassed? I would've never guessed") he thought to himself processing this piece of new information, "Come on."

"… Alright."

"Ok let's hear."

" Well there are 3 women sitting on a bench in the park, one said "My son's a priest so when everyone sees him come in they say "Hello my father."" The other woman said, "So my son's a archbishop so when everyone sees him they say "Hello my grace."" The last one said, "So my son's a stripper so when everyone sees him they say "Oh. My. God.""

There was an awkward silence among the two.

(" How sad was that joke? Should I laugh _at her_ joke for pity's sake or just laugh _at_ her?") He looked to the side scratching his head.

"That's the same response I got from the audience." She stared at the floor.

"No no it's…it's er a unique joke, different people will have different response that's all… ha ha ha." He laughed nervously (" Safe!")

"Yeah right." She said sarcastically.

"Well… it's er…" 

"Stop there before you dig yourself a deeper hole."

"Sorry."

"No problem, that's how everyone reacted and that's why I stopped." She looked up at the wall, " Hey I think granddad's home now."

"Huh?"

"Ok when you finish we'll go back and tell him what happened."

"Ok." Quickly he finished his food.

As the sun slowly set the two walked home when outside the house the same rock from the morning caught Tadayoi's attention but something seemed different as though it moved, he walked over to it to investigate.

"What's wrong Tadayoi-kun?" she walked over to him

"This rock looks weird." He examined the rock tapping it lightly hearing a hollow echo, " the rock's hollow?"

"That's no rock. That's our family pet _Kame_."

"Turtle?" he stared at it in disbelief, " How? It's shell is up to my waist in height and looks like a rock. No turtle is that big!"

"_Kame_'s a very special turtle." She knelt down and hugged the shell, "He's the descendant of an ancient turtle civilation."

"A what?" he asked quizzically

"Ancient turtle civilation! Hundreds of years ago there used to be a turtle civilation in which everyone worshiped the turtles like a God." 

"God?" he tried not to laugh

"Yes, don't laugh!" she slapped him playfully, " It's true, but their civilation died out, I don't know why though."

"So if it is true, how can you tell if he's alive?" he pointed at the motionless rock/shell.

"Ah, that." She walked in the house and moments later came out with a carrot in her hand.

"What's that for?" he asked

"You'll see." She knelt down and dangled the carrot in front of the shell, "_Kame_…_Ka_…_me_."

"Myuu!" the shell echoed and at lighting fast speed a blurred object shot itself out of the shell, grabbed the carrot and quickly retracted into it's shell, munching noises could be heard in the shell.

"What was that?!" Tadayoi asked bewildered 

"That was _Kame_." She got up and patted the dust off her dress.

"That was weird how fast can turtle moved?" he peered down the hole in which the turtle extended his head.

"Er…Tadayoi-kun I wouldn't do that." She warned him

"Why…ACK!" the turtle extended it's head out of it's shell once again and head butted him sending him flying across the porch, swirls in his eyes.

"That's why."

"Myuu." _Kame_ with his head still extended seemed to mock him.

"That turtle…" he sat up and saw his attacker, a turtle with green/yellow scaly skin and black eyes half covered with thick scaly eyelids, and some sort of white beard on his chin similar to Reiko's granddad.

"Sorry about that," she helped him up, "_Kame _does that to strangers."

"That's one powerful head butt, I just got over it you know." He rubbed his head.

"Well _Kame_'s older than my granddad but he's just as tough."

"How old is _Kame_?"

" I don't know…200 something?"

"200!!!" he stared at her 

"Like I said, he's a special turtle."

"Wow."

"Come on let's go in it's getting cold."

"Sure," he answered uncertainly, ("200?!")

"Night _Kame_."

"Myuu." It bellowed and retracted back into his rock like shell.

"Well now I'm glad that you're Ok Tadayoi-kun." Granddad said as the three sat down in the living room discussing the day's events, "and congratulations on your admittance to Todai." He stroked his beard and nodded.

"Thank you Kane-san." He bowed his forehead touching the floor.

"Please just granddad will do."

"Er, alright." (" Why are they so friendly?")

"Reiko-chan also tells me that your body needs strengthening."

"That's right to speed up healing."

"Hmmm." He stroked his beard and looked at Reiko seeing her nod they both agreed on something, " we don't usually do this to strangers but we will teach you our family arts of fighting."

"What?"

"You see Reiko-chan and I come from a long line of fighters, who used to serve the noble class in feudal Japan, until our disbanding our clan was the strongest there ever was, studying fighting from everywhere and adapting it to our own." He stroked his beard again.

"But why would you teach me, can't I just do push ups?"

"Because I sense something in you," he noticed his confused look and proceeded to explain, " you see when you were in a coma there was something about you that was different from others, something strong inside you kept you alive and in my opinion with proper training you can tap in to that unknown and become strong."

"Are you sure I can do it?"

"It will be tough but yes, I believe that you can."

"Then alright I will."

"Good." He smiled and placed his hand on his shoulder, " you're just like the grandchild I never had but always wanted." Tears in his eyes

"Hey!" Reiko got up and moaned, " Your current granddad child is right here sitting next to you you know!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean grandchild, I meant grandson." He backed away pleading with her very upset granddaughter.

"So are you telling me that you never wanted me? Is that it?" she asked enraged

"You misunderstand, I never said that. I meant it would've been nice to have a grandson as well as a granddaughter, you can be so childish sometimes."

"Childish? I'll show you childish!" she stormed off upstairs and locked herself in the bathroom.

"Err…" Tadayoi just sat there feeling rather uncomfortable having being caught in between a family fight.

"I'm sorry for my granddaughter's behaviour but she's always feared being rejected."

"Why?"

"Because she feels alone ever since her parents passed away when she was young, she was devastated." He stared in to space as though remembering something from a long time ago.

"I'm sorry."

"That's Ok, it still hurts the two of us but not as much now, she's a bit emotionally unstable about it " He stared at him causing him to grow uneasy, " which brings me to another subject." He moved in closer making Tadayoi even more uncomfortable, " Tadayoi-kun, I know it's selfish of me but… can you stay here with me and my granddaughter?"  

"Huh? Why?"

"You see, I'm getting old and my days are limited so when I pass away she'll be all alone, and I don't want that. Tadayoi-kun just pretend you're doing this favour for an old man in need, will you stay with my granddaughter?"

The question had caught him completely off guard and he contemplated on this, (" is he asking me to stay with his granddaughter forever, like a…") a thought just struck him, (" like a married couple?!") Images of him and Reiko appeared in his mind in a church.

"Tadayoi-kun!" granddad shouted and snapped him out of his daydreams, " so will you stay?" he asked eager for his answer.

"I don't know… I mean I still don't know who I am and all, it would be great to stay here but…" he looked at the floor disappointed

"I see." He folded his arms and thought, " I see it is a big decision, so please think about it, and please don't tell Reiko-chan about this."

"I will." He faced him and saw a smile on his face as though he knew something that he didn't. At that point he had noticed that Reiko had not yet returned and that it was quiet, very quiet. " Where's Reiko-chan?"

"She's probably still up stairs."

"But…" just then a smell caught his attention as well as granddad's, "that smells like bleach." He sniffed.

"I believe it is." Granddad replied calmly, " then she is fine."

"Wait! She locked herself upstairs and now there bleach smell in the air that can't be fine!" fear in his voice, " what if she…" an image of Reiko guzzling down bleach appeared at the back of his head, "no…"

"She's fine she's done this before." He answered seeming unaffected by the sudden event.

"I'll go check." He dashed upstairs, leaving granddad sitting in the living room.

"He's so considerate of her, I wonder if I'll ever become a great-granddad." He asked himself.

Upstairs Tadayoi has just arrived in front of the locked door and is desperately trying to get a response from within.

"Reiko-chan!" he banged against the door, " don't do any thing stupid!" he shouted.

No response

"That's it." He backed up and rammed the door, it failed so he tried again then the door finally gave way on his fourth try.

The scene that laid before him was something that he thought that could never happen, empty and half empty bottles of cleaning liquid lay before him some spilt on the floor, and over the toilet was Reiko on her knees, he had not expected to see her in her state that she was currently in……she was scrubbing the toilet.

"What are you doing?" he asked still shocked.

"Cleaning the toilet." She answered still scrubbing the toilet

"Ah, it's so clean." Granddad said appearing from behind Tadayoi, " I was wondering when you'd clean it." He walked past the still shocked Tadayoi.

"Er…granddad." She got up, "About before I'm sorry about that, I was being childish." She apologised, " it's just that…"

"Shh…" he silenced her, " I know." He smiled at her and hugged her and she in turn hugged back. Mean while Tadayoi continued to watch and smiled

(" Maybe…") he thought to himself.

Later that night in Tadayoi's room

It has been an hour since Tadayoi retired to him room and the house was silent everyone else was asleep but he still couldn't sleep, the question going though his head, he debated with him self and he tossed and turned but eventually fatigue caught up with him and he fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes he found himself in some sort of a park clearly not on the island, the trees were a shade of orange and brown the leaves falling, the wind was gently blowing, it was a slightly cloudy day but with enough sunshine all this seemed very familiar to him yet so distant. In the middle of the park were two kids playing in the sand pit one girl and one boy making some sort of mould in the sand.

"They?" he asked

"Did you here if two people go to Todai together they'll find happiness." The girl said to the boy

"Really? The boy asked.

" Yeah so when we grow up let's go to Todai together." The girl said cheerfully clasping her hands together.

"Yeah!" the boy said.

"Then let's pinkie promise." She held out her pinkie to him and he in turn hooked his pinkie around her's and they shook. Then they suddenly disappeared but their laughter still in the air but soon faded, he walked over to where they were and looked at the mould.

"So even with amnesia you still remember this memory." A voice said

"Who's there?" Tadayoi turned around but saw no one.

"You've been given a chance to forget the burden of your past, why not take it?" the voice asked.

"What? Who's there?" he asked once again this time more annoyed.

"You've been freed from your past, take the opportunity and live the life that you deserve, free from the burden of others."

"What?"

"You've been given the chance to forget, a second chance at happiness, to know what life would've been like if it weren't for that promise you made."

"Promise? What promise? Who are you?" now he was more confused and scared than frustrated.

"For now you don't need to know, forget your past and live out your new life."

"What?" the voice didn't answer, "answer me!"

"For now forget the burden of your past and live."

The scenery around Tadayoi disappeared and turned all black and he fell, he screamed.

"No!" he shouted and jumped up from his bed covered in sweat. Slowly he got out of bed and sat by the open window the moonlight shining on him.

"What was all that?" he said to himself putting his thoughts together, " A promise…freed from the burden of the past… a second chance at happiness? What is all this?" for the rest of the night Tadayoi sat in the dark illuminated by the moonlight thinking about what has just happened.

End of chapter 4

First a few things, 

(1) I apologise for the very sad joke, my friend told me it and I don't know why I put it in.

(2) This chapter was rather long and I don't think the other chapters will be this long. Was I wrong.

(3) The end bit about Tadayoi's dream I know it's weird but I have my reasons, towards the end it'll make sense. 

(4) You can probably guess who'll find Tadayoi, I did drop the hint ancient turtle civilation. 

(5) I'll end this soon 4-5 more chapters. 

(6) I don't think I'll be updating soon, too much schoolwork and part time job.

Tell me what you think. R+R


	5. old acqaintances

Disclaimer: I said this before I don't owe Love Hina but I owe everyone else.

Note: I'm still thinking…well, anyway anything in () means thoughts and anything in** means you don't have to read it, and here we go.

Old Acquaintances 

Early February 2001, crack of dawn

At Aoi island in a forest by the mountains

Within the deep lush forest where sunlight barely enters sounds of fighting and trees falling can be heard, a black shadow moving at high speeds flashes across the sky rebounding off a tree barely avoiding the assault of another shadow, it was clear that this shadow was faster and stronger. A few meters from the conflicting shadows was a _Shinto_ shrine where another shadow is seen behind the closed rice paper doors but this one was merely observing the two other shadows.  

"Hey! Take it easy!" the first shadow yelled avoiding another attack from the second shadow who just happened to knock a tree down with its attack.

"Stop running! Stay and fight!" the second shadow shouted obviously frustrated that it hasn't landed a single attack yet, it continued to pursue the first shadow.

"Reiko-chan control your emotions." The third shadow said still sitting in the shrine.

"Yes _sensei_." The shadow stopped moving at its high speeds and began to slow down, soon the shadow gave form to Reiko dressed in black sleeveless _ninja_ garb with a pair of _Wakizashi_ attached to the back of her waist by a white slash. She closed her eyes and concentrated, sensing her surroundings. Her surroundings soon went dark and then suddenly a black shadow flashed across behind her, " there!" she turnedand a threw a powerful _Ki_ powered punch in the shadow's direction, the _Ki_ made contact and sent the shadow skidding across the forest floor, trees fell upon impact with the shadow. Soon after 8 trees had softened the shadows flight it finally stopped and it gave form to Tadayoi laying in a heap of wood, dirt and what ever else laying on the floor, he was dazed by the punch's _Ki_ and his eyes where now swirls. He was dressed similar to Reiko except his garb had sleeves and instead of a pair of _Wakizashi_ he only had a _Katana_ behind his back.

"Ahh…" he babbled 

"Looks like you lose again Tadayoi-kun." She walked over to him with a triumphant smile.

Tadayoi shook his head clearing his mind and looked up to Reiko her arms folded looking down at him, "yeah, but I was so close this time." He gave out a sigh and fell to his back.

"Your getting better, see." She pointed to her shoulder where a cut was visible, "not a lot of people can do that you know." She extended her hand to him.

"Better than nothing I guess." He took her hand and with a grunt and got up to his feet. 

"Well done." The third shadow applauded and signalled for them to come closer, Reiko and Tadayoi did as they were ordered and went to the front of the shrine, as a sign of respect they got on one knee and planted one fist on the ground in front of them, keeping their heads down staring at the floor.

"Thank you, _Sensei_." They said in unison gaze still firmly on the floor.

"Ha ha! So much skill, Tadayoi-kun you have improved so much in these last 9 months." The _Sensei_ said joyfully.

"Thank you, it was your teaching and patients _Sensei_."

"Nonsense! You have a natural talent, I told you we could tap into that power of yours." Their _Sensei_ got up and approached the door revealing it to be Granddad. Seeing this Reiko and Tadayoi got up.

"But…"

"No buts! You got strong by yourself, we just merely helped you that's all." 

"Yeah! Most people can't even stand a week of our training, but you lasted 9 months!" Reiko put an arm around his shoulder, "You might not be as strong as us, but you're still very good."

"She is correct, have confidence in yourself you have many talents." He placed a hand on his shoulders and gave him a firm look.

Tadayoi stared at the two's faces, to his two companions, to his family since he woke up and couldn't help but feel warmth in his heart, "Thank you." He smiled to them.

"That's much better." Granddad turned around and stared at the mountain, " I have some meditation to do, you two go back home and get some rest." He walked off.

"Yes." They both answered.

As the sun slowly rose, the two walked home beside each other down the streets, Reiko admiring the sun as they walked, Tadayoi began to think.

(" It's been 9 months since I've been here and it's been like a dream, so peaceful.") He sidestepped to let a jogger past.

"Morning you two." The jogger said jogging past.

"Morning." They answered.

 Tadayoi closed his eyes and continued to think walking at the same time. (" I still can't remember anything though… but I'm not bothered, why?")

"Tadayoi-kun!"

(" I feel so relaxed here, there's no need for me to rush things and panic. My grades are great because I concentrate, I got a great job in the restaurant as a chief, I get stronger everyday and most importantly…she's so kind to me, OK so is everyone on this island but she in particular is the kindest…") he continued to walk whilst thinking.

"Hey! Tadayoi-kun! Watch out!"

(" I wonder if my past life was this good…"), " Ack!"  He walked into a lamppost and fell backwards.

"You OK?" she looked down on him.

"Yeah." He rubbed his head slowly getting up.

"What were you doing?"

"I was thinking that's all." He looked at the sun.

"About what?" 

"Just something."

"Err…OK?" she stared at him, " hey lets go home and get something to eat. OK?"

"Sure." He smiled at her.

"Then come on." She took his hand and led him down the street, all he did was smile and let her lead.

After breakfast the two sat down in the living and began to study for their exams, Reiko was working on a formula in her math book, Tadayoi however was staring at the ocean.

"Err…y-y1=m (x-x1) find the equation of line AD, what?" she looked up from the book confused and she saw Tadayoi staring into space. "Hey! Tadayoi-kun." He showed no response so she picked up a rubber and threw it at him.

"Ow!" he snapped out of his trance

"Glad you're awake." She said sarcastically, "Can you help me with this?" she shoved him her text book, he read over the question a few times and then handed the textbook back to her.

"You just substitute the y1 and x1 values for known values and then find m.," he answered rather plainly as though the question wasn't really challenging.

"You don't have to be so smug about it."

"What do you mean?"

"Well you just answer it so simply."

"I didn't mean to."

"I know, but stop daydreaming. I know your smart but you can't past the exam dreaming for an hour and then rushing it in the last 10 minutes I doubt even you can do that."

"Yeah I know, I mean who would be that stupid to sit in an exam and daydream for most of it and then rushing it."

"Yeah!" they both laughed.

"Ah!" Tadayoi clutched his heart.

"What's wrong?" she asked concerned

"Nothing, I think someone just insulted me."

"Who would talk behind your back like that?"

He just shook his head and then looked down on his book.

"What question are you on?" she asked not even looking up from her book.

"One of those IQ questions." He said rather annoyed

"Go on read it."

"OK here it is, 

Question: - 2 pairs of mother and daughter, 2 daughters and 2 mothers, walk in a restaurant and they all order the same dish, each costing £6/$US10/$CDN15. When the bill comes the final cost was £18/$US30/$CDN45. Why is that?

That's the question… I don't get it, do you?"

 "I'm just as clueless as you are." She shook her head.

"Never mind." He put the book aside and picked up another and stared at it rather unenthusiastically.

"Hey, Tadayoi-kun are you OK?" 

"Yeah, why?"

"Because you seem out of it today, more than usual. Want to talk?"

"Well, I don't know what to say."

"What do you mean?"

"Well I've been thinking a lot lately, about my past." He said with a hint of remorse in his voice.

"So you remember." She said looking down at the floor her eyes shadowed.

"No I didn't say that, it's just when I try to remember…I just can't… there's something blocking me."

"What?" she looked up at him.

"There's like… some sort of barrier in my mind shielding my memories as though it doesn't want me to remember, but it's strange… it feels familiar, as though I know what that thing is, it feels like it's protecting me from my past, shielding me from…pain?"            

"Pain? Of what?"

"I don't know? Painful memories perhaps. But it's so frustrating! I want to know who I once was, who my family and friends are and what happened to me." He clenched his fists tight, anger and frustration on his face.

"Do you really want to remember that badly?" she asked him a sad look on her face but he failed to notice this.

"Perhaps."

"You know, maybe there's a reason you can't remember."

"What do you mean?" he stared at her, seeing this she put on a calm expression. 

"Maybe a part of you don't want to remember, maybe it's for the best."

"How?" 

"I don't know. it was just a suggestion."

 There was silence between the two as they thought about it.

"Hey Tadayoi-kun, if you remember everything… will you leave?" she stared at the floor once again.

"Erm…" the question had taken him by surprise he didn't expect to be asked such a question, truth is he hadn't thought about it either. Just then however he remembered the conversation he had with her Granddad a few months ago. "I'll probably want to go back for a while." He saw that she wasn't looking at him, her gaze was still on the floor but now her expression was that of sadness. "Not forever like, I will come back to see you." With that comment she brighten up a bit and looked him in the eye.

"Really?"

"Really. And I'll take you  back with me." He smiled but she merely stared at him her expression returning to what it was a minute ago. "What's wrong?"

"I was hoping that we would stay on the island together."

"Why?"

"It's just that, this island means a lot to me, my childhood, friends and so are my parents…so many memories."

"It must be nice to have a birth place and so many memories."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to rub it in or anything." She apologized 

"Don't worry." He waved it off, " I understand how you must feel. I guess I'll stay as well if I were in your position. So in that case I think I'll stay here as well, if you want me to."

"Really? I mean sure!" she said happily, "But why?"

"Well, I don't remember my past but you and your Granddad are like family to me and…" she placed her hand on hiscausing him to stop.

"We are." She gave him a warm smile.

"Yeah," he smiled back, "We are aren't we… which brings me to another thing I was thinking." His face was unreadable at that point.

"What?" she was concerned that his expression had just changed so suddenly.

"Sometimes at night I get scared."

"About what?"

"I mean, I was in a coma for a week and all I remember was a blank. There are nights that I worry that if I close my eyes again I don't know when I'll open them again, for a week, month, year… even never. And what will happen if I do wake up, will everything be the same again? I'm worried that I'll never see any of you again, friends, family, you." He expression now turned to fear.

"Don't worry." She clutched his hand tight making him look at her, "no matter how long you sleep I'll look after you, like I did before, until you open your eyes again, no matter how long."

For what seemed like eternality the two stared deeply into each other's eyes, light green meet with dark green, slowly Reiko's lips slowly moved forward towards Tadayoi's, her eyes closed in anticipation to taste his lips, she moved even closer Tadayoi did nothing to stop her, it would have been a perfect moment if it weren't for one thing.

"I'm back!" Granddad called as he entered the living room, Tadayoi turned his head to greet him, which caused Reiko to miss her mark and kiss him on the cheek instead.

"Huh?" Reiko opened her eyes 

"Er…" Tadayoi pulled back rubbing his cheek, blushing at what he had just felt.

"O… I didn't know that the two you were that close…" Granddad stroked his beard with a smile on his face, "Ahh… my grandchild is growing up to be a beautiful young lady, finding love, I'm so proud." He wiped a single tear away, "I'm so happy."

"Granddad you…you just ruined it all, do you know hard it was to get that perfect atmosphere?" she got up throttling her granddad by his collar, "Do you!?"

"Reiko-chan…stop…" her granddad spluttered out, and immediately she let go realising what she was doing.

"O my God! Granddad I'm so sorry."

"That's OK." He catches breath, "I know you didn't mean it, though often you can be very rash." 

"I know…" she was somewhat ashamed of herself at that moment.   

"Listen, I just came from the restaurant and I just wanted to let the two of you know that one of our waitresses is getting married so she'll be off for a few weeks."

"Really! So he actually had enough nerve to propose to her?!" Reiko asked somewhat excited.

"Yes, apparently he took her on a night out on the town and then a stroll down the beach, and that's when he popped the question. She said yes and here we are."  

"Really…" Reiko eyed Tadayoi with a sly smile on her face, then her eyes went all dreamy and her face all red.

(" What is thinking?") He looked at her confused, (" She couldn't…nah, can't be.") he shook it off.

"Hello, the two of you back to reality." He waved his hand in front of the two teens sending them both back to reality, "Anyhow, I know the two of you have exams so I managed it so that for the next two weeks Tadayoi-kun will be in the kitchen and Reiko-chan will be a waitress, I trust the exams will be over by then."

"Yeah, just about, they'll be over on Tuesday, so about 4 days." Tadayoi answered.

"Yeah…" Reiko replied her face still red from her fantasy.

"Reiko-chan are you OK?" Granddad asked concerned.

"I'm OK granddad just thinking." She stared dreamily at Tadayoi, who looked at her confused.

"Huh?"

"O, I see." He stroked his beard, "Reiko-chan, I know your growing up so it's time I had a talk with you, it's not an easy topic for me to talk to you about, maybe I should get an older women to talk to you about this, maybe Dr Ishida but as your granddad I think it is my duty." He looked at Tadayoi, "Tadayoi-kun can we have some time alone?"

"Sure." He left the room and closed the screen door.

"So Granddad, what do you want to talk about?"

When he was out of sight Granddad began, "Well Reiko-chan you see…"

Tadayoi stood outside the room and wondered what the two were talking about, (" What are they doing in there?") Suddenly Reiko's voice pierced the air.

"Granddad I wasn't thinking that!"

"It seemed like it, I remember my days when I was courting your grandmother we went through the same stages."

"Ah! Granddad!" 

"What's going on?" Tadayoi rushed into the room.

"Nothing Tadayoi-kun, Granddad's losing touch with reality again."

"Ha ha." Granddad laughed uncomfortably whist rubbing the back of his head, "You know I was joking."

"Well you seemed really convincing."

"What were you two talking about?" Tadayoi asked still confused. 

"Never mind Tadayoi-kun." She knelt down gathered her books, "Hey help with these books, we'll study down at the restaurant."

"Yeah, OK." 

"Well you two work hard." Granddad left the room, "Youth these days, how I envy them."

At Hinata Sou 

It has been just over 9 months since the manager's disappearance and most of the tenants had already given up looking for him though they would never admit it in front of one certain tenant. Over in room 301 Naru is sitting by her desk trying to study though her mind was else where, time and stress has done many things to her in such a short time, she seemed more paled than before and her eyes strained, void of life.

"X=, X=, X=… what does it equal?" she mumbled to herself clearly not concentrating. Then the door slid open and in came Shinobu holding a tray of tea, time too had also changes now she had slightly longer hair and figure had became more apparent.

"Naru-sempai, here's something to drink." She set the tea on the table. "Naru-senpai?"

"…Yeah?" she stared at the younger girl.

"Erm…teas here…" she replied uneasily under her gaze.

"Thanks." She returned to her books.

"Don't you think you should rest?"

"No, I'm OK." She said somewhat unconvincingly.

"But…"

"Shinobu-chan leave her alone." Kitsune said as she entered, time hadn't changed her much except now she had a ponytail, " She's a bit depressed, why don't you go down to greet our guests." She ushered her to go downstairs, which she did but not before she turned around and had a last glance at Naru.  

"Naru-chan, why don't you take a break." She walked up towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Why don't we go down stairs, I think there's someone who might cheer you up." 

"…" 

Getting no response from her, she dragged her from her desk and took her down stairs.

"Hey! Naru!" Seta greeted with a smile, "You look awful." 

"Yeah, like you haven't slept in days." Said Sarah with a grin as she appeared from behind Seta.

"Why so glum?" Seta asked still with a smile.

Kitsune made hand gestures behind Naru and shaking her head in a frantic rage.

"Oh! I get it you still haven't found Keitaro yet."

"That dork is still missing?" Sarah asked whilst poking around the place, " Why do you even bother? I mean he's…" Kitsune covered her mouth from speaking any more.

Upon hearing Keitaro's name Naru's mood worsens.

"…"

"Shh! Both of you don't." 

"Er well. The reason I came was to tell you that me and Sarah was leaving the country to go on a dig, they found a new site on a small island SE of here, we'll be gone for a week or 2." Seta looked on, as he got no response from Naru.

"Er…it was nice of you to come so why don't you leave, we don't want to slow you down." Kitsune monitored for the two to leave quickly. Picking up on this Seta decided it was best to leave, he took Sarah and they both left promptly.

"Kitsune I'll go back to my room to study." Naru said lifelessly and walked up the stairs.

"Naru." Kitsune said, mad at herself that she couldn't help her best friend out of the situation that she was in.

"Papa. Why are they still looking for that dork?" Sarah asked as she climbed into the van, "I mean it's been more than 9 months. He's probably left for good, or even dead."

"Well Sarah, you're far too young to know." He answered whilst lighting a cigarette and buckling in, "And besides we both know how he is and he isn't the type to leave without saying anything, and also he's immortal so he can't die."

"Yeah. But why do they care for him so much? Oh well." She shrugged her shoulders, "So Papa, how will we get there?" she buckled into her seat, tight.

"Well I rented a cargo plane and I think they finished loading it last night, so I think we'll get there in about a day or two."

"So what are we looking for this time?" she held on to her seat as the engine started.

"They found the ruins of a ancient turtle civilisation on the SW of the island, and the ruin is still in almost perfect condition, unexplored for hundreds of years."

"Oh." 

And then the engine roared to life and the van sped away avoiding several cars and a tram in the process.

Aoi Island 

"Thank you, goodbye now!"  Reiko waved with a smile on her face as a customer left the restaurant. "Ah… finally we can close for lunch, I'm starving." She complained as she sat down with another waitress.

"Hey Reiko, you sure are working hard today." The waitresses said whilst stirring her tea.

"Yeah, the faster I get this done, the more I can study."

"Don't over do it, you'll get strained and Tadayoi-kun won't like if you don't look presentable." She said with a smile.

"Never you mind." She turned her head away from her. The waitress continued to stir at her tea whilst smiling at Reiko.

"So I'm guessing still no luck eh?"

"Argh! How do you know?"

"It's obvious, haven't you dropped any hints?"

"For the last 9 months! And he still hasn't picked it up yet. For someone as smart as him he sure is dense. He…"

The waitress saw Tadayoi coming their way holding a plate of food and immediately silenced Reiko, "Shh. Here he comes." She pointed at him.

"Here you are ladies." He handed each a plate of the house special.

"Looks great Tadayoi-kun." Reiko said.

"Yes it does." The waitress said with a blush.

"Thanks." He walked back into the kitchen.

"Why were you looking at him like that?" Reiko asked her suspiciously through narrow eyes.

"Well he is handsome." She said still with a blush.

"You wouldn't be interested in him would you?"

"Along with most of the girls here…oops." She covered her mouth upon realising what she had just said.

"What?" she asked rather intrigued and angry.

"Well…well er I mean." She avoid staring at Reiko's eyes while fidgeting her hands.

 "Tell me." She said almost a command.

 "Ok." She gave, "Well I mean he is a catch, smart, handsome, his past is a mystery and that smile…. sighs, most of the girls find it alluring." She blushed.

 "Hey!" 

"O, er what I meant to say was er, Reiko you should make your advance on him." She said staring firmly into her eyes.

"What?"

"Don't wait around for him, go ask him yourself."

"Yeah." She contemplated the notion for a second, "Yeah! I should!"

"Do what?" Tadayoi asked appearing from nowhere.

"Ah!" Reiko jumped due to his sudden appearance from nowhere, " I was going to, to…"

"Well I think I'll leave the two of you alone." The waitress said grabbing her plate of food she quickly left for another table, "Good luck. Go for it!" she mouthed to Reiko.

"Hey! Wait!"

"What was that all about?" he asked her as he sat down.

"Er, Tadayoi we've known each other for 9 months now and we know each other quite well right?" she saw him nod, "Yeah well, I was wondering if you would…"

"Hey Reiko, I was wondering if we could go see a movie together." Tadayoi asked, a blush apparent on his face, "If you want to that is."  

She just sat there stunned at what he just asked her. Finally she spoke, "You mean like a date?"

"If you want to call it that."

"Yeah, sure if you want to that is."

"Sure this weekend?"

"Ok."

"Er alright then, I guess I'll go back into the kitchen and clean up." He got up and left for the kitchen, on his way he went past the waitress that Reiko had been talking to, he gave her a thumbs up and a grateful smile, and in return she too gave him a thumbs up ad smile as well.

"Yes!" Reiko said to herself, "Finally, progress." She said as she happily ate her food.

The next day later, in the skies above Aoi Island. 

"Papa it's been a day when will we get there?" Sarah asked as she peered out of the window of the plane.

"We should be at the airport soon." Seta said with a smile, " See." He pointed out as the view of the island came to view, "There's the desert."

Clank! Clank!

"Papa what was that?"

"Let's see." He looked at the controls, "Hmm… seems like we're out of fuel." He said still with a smile on his face and no hint of worry in his voice. As if on queue the plane's engines cut and the plane begins it's free descent crashing towards the desert.

"Sarah hold on tight."

"Ahh!!!!" She screamed as she held on to her seat.

Few hours later in _Jigoku_ [hell]desert on Aoi Island

"Phew! Sarah that was close wasn't it." Seta said as he exited out of the plane, which apart from the shattered windows was in perfect condition, and apart from the fact that it was also upside down.

"Close?" She asked as she walked out of the plane on her legs wobbling, "We could've died!"

"No problem." He said as he pry opened the cargo door, "Oh no! The artefacts! They're all ruined! The other professors will kill me!" 

"Papa, I think it was an accident, I think he'll understand." 

"Yeah, for now lets get to a town or something and get someone to drag this plane back." He walked in the cargo bay and drove his van out. Sarah immediately jumped in.

"Where will we go?"

"To a small town near by, I have a friend there, we used to go to university together. I'm sure she can help."

At a house near Dr. Ishida's clinic

Dr. Ishida was in her kitchen stirring the contents of a pot, "Did someone call me?" Dr. Ishida thought out loud, "Well better get back to my soup. Let's see." She picked up the can and read the instructions, "Add 1 dash of salt." She looked up to the draws above and picked out the nearest bottle, "OK add a dash. Hmm… I think I forgot to do something… but what? Never mind I'm sure it's not important." She poured a quarter of the unknown substance in, but just then the label caught her attention, "Sodium. Warning: Highly Explosive…oh bugger." The pot rattled violently and then…

Bang!!

As the dust cleared Dr. Ishida is still standing over the pot with the spoon still in her hand, she was covered from head to toe in dirt and so was the rest of her kitchen.

"Move the chemicals back." She said as she past out.

Back at _Jigoku_ Desert

"She's a great doctor, but she's a terrible cook she get ingredients mixed up, she can't even boil water without it exploding. But don't tell her I said that." Seta said as he ran his finger across various buttons on the dashboard, "Let see, under water mood, avalanche crossing, molten lava crossing, space crossing, eject, and sun screen… ah! Desert crossing." He pressed the button and the tires of the car inflated and the van began to start at a slow pace, "Hmm… we'll have to move slow to converse power."

A day latter at Kane family restaurant

"Hey Tadayoi-kun." Reiko called out to him, " I had fun yesterday." She said with a blush.

"Yeah… it was a great day wasn't it?" he said a blush on his face, "Hey! I think there are customers coming." He looked over her shoulder to see a man and a blonde girl came through the door.

"Yeah." She turned around to see them sit down at a table, "I'll go greet them."

She walked up to them, "Hello, welcome to Kane family Restaurant, can I take your order."

"Er yes two house specials please." The man ordered.

"Yay! Time to eat." The Blonde girl cheered.

"My, aren't you cute?" Reiko said with a smile.

"Just get my food." She told her rudely. Reiko just stared at her.

"Sarah, don't be rude."

"Yes, papa. Sorry." Sarah said to Reiko insincerely.

"It's OK." She gave a fake smile and she walked off, "What a brat." She said under her breath, "Hey! 2 house specials." She told the chief in the kitchen.

"Got it!" a voice replied. A few minutes later, "Hey Reiko!" 

Reiko went in to the kitchen, moments later she emerged with 2 plates of food. "Here you are." She placed the plates of food on the customer's table. "Enjoy." She walked off.  

"Mmm… this is very good." Seta said as he dug in to his food.

"Mmm…" Sarah mumbled, as she was busy stuffing her mouth.

Minutes later the two have finished eating their food they, sat back and placed their hands over their full stomachs.

"Hey Miss." The man called out to Reiko.

"Yes?" she asked as she came up to their table.

"Could you get the chief please."

"Why?"

"I just wanted to complement the chief."

"Ok, I'll go get him."  She walked off in to the kitchen. Minutes later she came out with Tadayoi behind her.

"Well here he is." She indicated to Tadayoi.

"Well I just wanted to say great… meal." Seta looked up to the chief and his face instantly turned to amazement and shock.

"Keitaro?!" Both Seta and Sarah said in unison

"Excuse me?" Tadayoi asked confused.

For moments the three continued to stare at each other, one clearly confused and the other two shocked.

End of chapter 5

*Notes: Well this has been slow, sorry about that my Math teacher hit with 4 math papers to do by the end of this week so that's my excuse, God it's awful annoying over here in the UK. Well let's clear a few things:

(1) The reason Tadayoi is smart is because he is relaxed and actually knows his stuff, I'm sure Naru mentioned that as well, that he knew his stuff but he just made silly mistakes. He is constantly being encouraged which he doesn't get much in Hinata Sou so his confidence is boosted and more importantly he isn't scolded for his mistakes and called _baka._  

(2) Reiko seems a bit strong, she has been training since she was young but there's another reason she won't get along with of the tenants due to family background and honour so I needed her to be a match for this particular tenant as they'll be fighting each other once or twice, no prize for guessing who.

(3) The question I smuggled in, feel free to answer it in the review section or e-mail me if you don't want other people to see it, I was actually asked this question on my test paper when I used to live in HK thank God it was a extra credit question cause no one got it. I mean we were only 9! What'd you expect. 

(4) I wonder if you lot liked that scene between Tadayoi and Reiko about him not opening his eyes again, I hope to add more of those scenes or you can tell me otherwise.

(5) I left the date out on purpose, it'll be a flashback.

(6) My final note, what do you think of the original characters.

And that's it. *

Well R+R.

   


	6. The Journey

 Disclaimer: See previous chapters, this is getting annoying.

Note: Well I got quite some positive reviews regarding my last chapter, truth is I didn't expect it, thanks anyway. About that question, only one person got the right answer to my question in my previous chapter, I expected more, sighs, never mind. Anything in () means thoughts and brings us in and out of flash backs, so let's go.

The Journey 

Early February, at Aoi island.

The silence remain among the three as they continued to stare at each other, until finally Sarah broke the silence.

"Keitaro you dork! I can't believe you've been here all this time, we thought you were dead!" Sarah yelled with a scowl on her face pointing an accusing finger at him.  

"Excuse me, do I know you?" Tadayoi asked confused.

"What do you mean "Do I know you?" don't play dumb, it's me Sarah!" she pointed to herself.

"Err… I'm sorry I don't think I've ever met you before." He shook his head in regret.

"Yeah right! You expect me to believe that! Take this…" she lifted her clay disk above her head she was about to throw the disk but was stopped by Seta lifting her off her feet.

"Sarah stop." He carried her off to one side and lowered himself to her level, " Sarah we don't know if that is Keitaro or not." They look back at Tadayoi, who in turns look back at them confused.

"Papa look at him, he looks like him, talks like him and just as dorky as him, so it's got to be him!" Sarah protested.

"But Sarah, look at his eyes they're green and he isn't wearing glasses." They turned back to him again, only now Reiko is with him and they were talking.

"Hey Tadayoi-kun, what's up with them?" she asked him

"I don't know, but I think they got me mixed up with someone else, they think I look like this guy they know."

"Really?" her curiosity rising, she eyed the 2 strangers.

"There's no way this could be a coincidence." Sarah pouted.

"Alright, but we should make sure." Seta stood up and walked towards Reiko and Tadayoi closely followed by Sarah. " Say, young man what's your name?" he asked Tadayoi with a smile.

Tadayoi was about to answer but was stopped by Reiko, "Why do you want to know?" she asked him her suspicions rising more and more.

"Well, I just like to know. Ha ha." He scratched the back of his head, a sweat drop forming on his head, (" Wow. What's up with her?")

"Fine. He's Kane Tadayoi and I'm his wife Reiko." 

"What!!!" Tadayoi practically screamed out, his eyes as wide as saucers, "Reiko… wha… what are you doing, I mean saying?" he asked her his face all red.

She pulled him to one side, "Listen, I think he's some con artist trying to cheat you."

"What?" 

"I mean everyone on the island knows about your condition, he probably knows about it too from the islanders and is trying to take advantage of that."

"Maybe. Now that I look at him I don't think I've ever seen him on the island before."

"Tadayoi-kun it's obvious that he isn't from this island." they turn to face him, "And besides don't you think he's a bit weird? And most importantly he didn't say anything when I said I was your wife, so he's definitely not from this island."

"Yeah, your right. But what do we do, he seems interested in me."

"Don't worry, let me handle it." She headed towards Seta and signalled for Tadayoi to follow, " Well Mr?" she trailed of searching for a name.

"It's Seta and I guess you already know Sarah. So you two are married?"

"Yes, we're newly weds just came back from our honeymoon last week." she told him a blush on her face.

"Really? Congratulations."

"Thank you. But why are you so interested in my husband?"

"Well it's just that he looks like someone I know who's gone missing."

"Really?" she asked something dawned upon her, "Hey Tadayoi-kun don't you need to tend to the kitchen?" she turned to him.

"Well… I…" he saw her wink at him, "Oh, yeah I do. Well see ya, it was nice meeting you Seta-san." He waved as he walked off.

"Hey wait." Seta tried to stop him but Reiko stepped in front of him.

"It's OK you can talk to me." 

"Well… OK, I just want to ask some questions about him." 

"Like what?"

"Like how long he's been on this island."

"Oh that he's been on this island for quite some time now…oh would you look at the time, it's time for us to close." She ushered them out of the restaurant.

"But the time table says…"

"We need to fix the toilets." She threw them out and shut the doors on them. She leaned on the door, "Phew that was close." ("They weren't from this island, they were after Tadayoi-kun, and do they really know him? I won't risk it.") She shook her head, (" I won't let them lead Tadayoi-kun like a sheep unless they have proof. But what if they do? No!") She shook her head violently and began to stroke a locket beneath her shirt.

Flash back to morning of date

Kane family house

"Oh God! Of all days to wake up late, it had to be today!" Reiko complained as she jumped up and down in her room trying to put her jeans on, after a few thuds and thumps she finally succeeded, "There done…" she hesitated for a moment a puzzle look on her face, "I forgot something… but what?" she stroked her neck unintentionally and realized what she was missing, "My locket." She looked around her room and began to rummage through one of her many piles of cloths scattered on the floor, "Ah here it is." She pulled her hand out from the pile and in her hand was a locket. Inspecting the locket she was satisfied that it was perfect, with a flick of her thumb she opened the locket to reveal a small picture in it, the picture showed 3 people, a child being held by a woman and a man with his arm around her,  they were standing in front of the restaurant, all of them were smiling, "Mum, Dad you don't have to worry about me any more, I've finally found someone to care for." She stared at the picture her expression reflected her sadness, "And Dad you would've liked him, he's just like you, caring, kind and that clumsiness too." She laughed at the last comment, "I wish that you both could've meet him, he really is sweet." She gave a smile and kissed the locket, "I still miss you both." Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Reiko-chan! Tadayoi-kun's waiting, but he's too polite to complain that your late." Granddad said through the door.

 "Yeah I'm coming." She put her locket on, tucking it underneath her shirt she opened the door. "I'm ready." 

Present day

"Reiko-chan are you OK?" Tadayoi asked appearing from nowhere.

"What? Oh It's nothing! Really!" she panicked.

"You just seemed concerned," he placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled at her.

She stared into his eyes and blushed, she leaned towards him, wrapping her arms around him, her head resting on his shoulder enjoying his warmth.

"Nothing. It was nothing really." She said snuggling against him.

"Come on, what did he ask you?" he asked stroking her head.

"No." she pouted

"Please." 

"No!" she replied more firmly.

"Fine." He said defeated, he put an arm around her, "What happen to those two people that we were talking to?"

"Oh, nothing. They just asked about something."

"Like what?"

"Like I said, nothing."

"Ok then, why have you locked the doors?" he stared at the doors.

"We need to fix the toilets." She let go of him and stepped back.

"What?"

"Just go." She waved him off.

"Er… OK." He headed for the toilets, ("Was there anything wrong with them before?")

(" That's it, I won't let anyone take him away, and I MEAN IT.") Reiko thought to herself, (" I gotta be more careful from now on.")

Outside the restaurant

"That was rather abrupt." Seta said as he got up and dusted himself off.

"I say she's hiding something." Sarah replied picking herself up, dusting the dust from her hair.

"I don't know, but they sure are a cute couple." He laughed.

"Papa…they aren't married." Sarah stared at him, she couldn't believe that her foster father was that gullible.

"Really? I could've sworn that they were." he laughed again.

Again she stares at him in disbelief, "Don't you think we should tell them back at Hinata Sou?"

"Maybe later."

"Why?"

"Well the exams are on, aren't they?" he looked at her and saw her nod, " Well Naru seemed pretty down when we last saw her, so I think it's best that she doesn't have any distractions for now so she can focus on her exams."

"But we should tell them."

"We're still not sure. But you are right we should tell them, but not now."

"Then when?"

"Maybe in a week or 2's time, after the exams and when the results come out."

"Yeah, sounds OK to me." She placed her hands behind her head.

"But for now, we go excavating!"  

2 weeks later, mid-February at Hinata Sou

Having just received her results it seemed that Naru had just barely past her exams and avoid being get kicked out by Toudai, everyone was shocked by this and yet expected this because of what she went through. This said person was now currently sitting in the living room flicking through the channels stopping at no channel in particular, she was like a zombie in other words.

"Naru-chan. You can't keep doing this to yourself." Kitsune said in a sympathetic tone to her friend. But Naru ignored her. "You should cheer up, I mean you did pass your exams, unlike Motoko." As she finished her last sentence she frantically looked around to see if she was around, because she knows clear well that if Motoko caught her talking behind her back she'll lose her head, seeing that she wasn't around she relaxed, "Well as we're on the topic, do you know why she went for Toudai anyway?"

"I don't need to give my reasons." Came a reply from behind Kitsune.

Kitsune froze in place knowing exactly well who was behind her, she slowly turned around to see Motoko, "Hi." She squeaked.

"Don't worry I hold no malice, truth is I did fail and that is the truth." She replied calmly.

"Eh?" was Kitsune's reply, "I mean just a few days ago you were training non stop."

"Yes. That was because I needed to think." She paused, "And I decided to try again next year, at least that's what he would've done." She stared at the floor.

"Yeah." Kitsune turned to her friend on the couch, "I wish we could do something for her though."

"We can't, only he can." ****

"Yeah. Has Su found anything yet?"

"No. Still nothing." Motoko shook her head, "As a matter of fact I think she's given up." She whispered to Kitsune.

"Really? But it doesn't look good does it? I mean 9 months and nothing." She stroked her chin. Just then the phone rang. "I'll get it."

"Hello. Hinata Sou." She answered

"Hi! Kitsune is that you." came a cheery voice through the other end of the receiver.

"Hey Seta! How's Sarah and the excavation coming."

"It's great we've dug up a great deal of artefacts and I can't wait to show you all, but that's not why I called." He paused

"Then why?" she asked rather curious.

"It's about Keitaro, I think I know where he is, but I'm not too sure."

"You found Keitaro??!!" Kitsune yelled through the receiver.  Upon hearing this Naru immediately perked up and rushed towards the phone. "Then where…Argh!" Naru shoved her aside causing her to go crashing through a wall smoke coming from her, Motoko went over to examine her to see if she was OK.

"Seta-san is that you!? You've found Keitaro?! Where?!" She practically yelled at the receiver.

"Hey Naru calm down. How were your exams?"

"Never mind that, you said you found Keitaro?" she asked eager for an answer, in the background Kitsune finally got up.

"Well yeah, but…"

"Where?"

"On the island I'm excavating, you know Aoi Island, just 150 miles SE of where you are, but like I said I think…"

"Thanks Seta-san!" she said cheerfully then she placed the receiver down.

"No wait, he's…" she hung up on him.

"Naru-chan what did he say?" Kitsune asked her whilst she rubbed her mysteriously bandaged head.

"He said he found Keitaro on Aoi Island 150 miles SE from here." She answered as she rushed upstairs.

"How?" she shouted after her.

"I don't know and I don't care!" she yelled from upstairs as sounds can be heard from her room.

"What are you going?" she stopped as she saw the suitcase in her friends hand, "You can't be serious? Your going?" she was shocked, "We don't even know if it's real or not."

"I don't care."

"Alright but at least let us wait until everyone's here so that we can tell them the news."

"But…"

"Naru-senpai, please. We're all concerned for him as well, but let's not rush things." Motoko pleaded.

After several moments of hesitation she spoke, "Alright, you're right." She placed her suitcase down and sat on the couch.

"Kitsune-san, do you think this is wise, I mean we don't have a lot of proof and even if so how did Urashima end up on a island 150 miles from Japan?" Motoko whispered to her.

"I know, but look at her. We haven't seen her like this for months, I know we might be setting her up for a fall, but it's worth a try." She whispered back. "Well at least we a get a holiday out of this."

"But I'm not too sure."

"Don't worry about it."

(" Keitaro. Please be there. I said I'll find you and I will.") Naru thought to herself as she tapped her fingers against the table impatiently, hoping that everyone will get back soon. (" I WILL find you!")

At Aoi Island, Kane family house.

Tadayoi shivered as a cold chill ran down his spine.

"Tadayoi-kun what's wrong?" Reiko asked as she turned away from the TV to face him.

"Oh nothing, there was a cold chill running down my spine, like a bad omen or something." He shrugged his shoulders and resumed going through his card collection in his folder, he stopped at one in particular and took it out.

"Sighs, I know it's cold isn't it?" she moved towards him, "Whacha looking at?" 

"My favourite card." He smiled looking at the card, it was red with a picture of a red serpent like dragon on it and its name was in gold on the top, on the bottom there were 2 sets of x0000s, the top was the word for God in Japanese. "My best andrarestcard, never've been beaten." He continued to stare at the card with a somewhat demented grin.****

"God, it's just a card." He face became neutral, she placed her hands on his shoulders and placed her cheek against his, "And besides, if it's unbeatable, how come I beat it 3 times in a row?"  

"Do you have to rub it in?" he quickly turned his head and accidentally bumped his head against hers, causing her to fall on her rear.

"Ow!" they both moaned as they rubbed their heads.

"Heh heh you OK?" she asked him, "Hey how about a game afterwards, just to prove me wrong?" she smirked.

"You're on." He placed the card back in to his folder, "After we study of course."

"What? Again?" she moaned and pouted, "But the exams are over, and we both passed with flying colours! And it's so damn boring!" He contemplated this for a minute.

"Yeah, we do deserve to relax." He saw her smile, "But…" she frowned, "We should keep on top of things, no need to get sloppy, it's better to be safe than sorry." Her shoulders slumped and hung her head in disappointment and annoyance. "Fine. Just a light study session, we'll go over where we went wrong on the exam paper." 

"Yay! I'll go get my stuff." She got up and tried to walk past him but tripped on a cable, she fell forwards towards Tadayoi, he closed his eyes and tensed himself bracing for the impact.

Thud!

Slowly he opened his eyes and saw that Reiko's face was only mere inches from his own, after a while his mind finally figured out what was going on.

(" OK let's see, 1: Reiko-chan is lying on top of me, 2: Reiko-chan's face is mere inches from my own, 3: Her chest is touching mine…. Her chest is touching mine!! Oh my God!!") His face blushed a bright red as the blood threatened to gush out from his nose. "Reiko-chan! I'm so sorry, I'll get off now!" he squirmed and try to wriggle free but Reiko stopped him by placing the palms of her handsin to his shoulder joints.

"Tadayoi-kun, it wasn't your fault." She whispered into his ear, "And besides," she moved her face in front of his, "I'm on top…unlike last time, remember." She licked her lips and moved closer towards him. Meanwhile Tadayoi just lay there virtually frozen as his brain fried processing the information of the situation that was going on. Her lips were virtually just a hair's width away from his, just then a noise came from the door which caused him to look in that direction…Reiko missed her mark and kissed him on the cheek instead.

"I'm home!" Granddad shouted as he opened the front door, as he entered the living room he saw the two young adults in compromising positions. "Oh? I see…" he grinned, "Was I interrupting?" 

"Granddad it's not what you think!" He protested whilst still under Reiko.

"Hmm… you two sure are promiscuous, I wonder if it's safe to leave the two of you alone at night." He joked and gave him a suggestive grin.

"No! It's not like that!" he protested frantically " You can ask Reiko-chan, right Reiko-chan?" He got no response from the girl, this worried him, "Reiko-chan?" He faced her and saw an irritated face. "You OK?"

Slowly she got up, a vein throbbing on her head. "Granddad do you do this on purpose?" she walked towards the table.

"Er…Reiko-chan." Tadayoi said somewhat concerned.

"You spoiled another PERFECT moment!" she shouted as she lifted the table above her head in a fit of rage.  ****

"Ah! Reiko-chan calm down!" he persuaded her to calm down.

"Yes Reiko-chan, please calm down." Granddad placed his hands out in front of him as he slowly backed away. "Be reasonable, I didn't know."

"Ahhhhh!!!" She tossed the table out of the window, the two males immediately ran for cover. "Haa…haa…haa." She took deep breaths and finally stormed out to her room.

Appearing from underneath the upturned couch Tadayoi looked around to see if it was safe, "Phew." He wiped his forehead, "the coast is clear."

"I'm sorry about that." Granddad said as he got up.

"Eh…it's OK I guess." Tadayoi rubbed the back of head and surveyed the destruction, "Wow, I've got a lot of cleaning to do." (" But strangely enough, this doesn't seem so bad, I get the feeling that I've seen worst. But where?") 

"Sighs… I wish Reiko-chan wasn't such a slave to her hormones, I think I'll need to improve our mental training." Granddad suggested.

"Ha ha… yeah." Tadayoi laughed nervously, he went over to the closet. 

"I hope I wasn't interrupting anything." Granddad said calmly as he dusted himself.

"What! It's not like that…we…I just…she and I…" he failed his arms about frantically trying to explain but to no avail.

"Hmm…I see." He stroked his beard, he nodded his head slowly and then walked off.

"What was that all about?" Tadayoi asked himself, " Well I guess I better start cleaning." He picked up a broom and dustpan and stared cleaning the rubble.

At Hinata airport

When the remaining girls heard about the news about their manager they all gathered their belongings and went straight to the airport, everything was done and now they were at the checkpoints in front of their flight's gate.

"Wow! I can't believe Haruka-san got these tickets!" Kitsune said as she went past checkpoint 1.

"Yes, but it's such a shame she can't come, right Naru-senpai?" Shinobu asked as she went past checkpoint 2.

"…" Naru gave no response as she went past checkpoint 3.

"Miss, I can't let you takes these on board." The attendant said to Su at checkpoint 1.

"But my bananas!" Su wined as she clung on to her suitcase of bananas, "My bananas, mine!" 

"Please miss, it's regarding our policy not to let fruits and vegetables to leave the country." The attendant pleaded, "Miss would you please help?" he asked Motoko.

"Yes, Su please you can't take them on board. I'm sure they have bananas on board." She tried to pry Su from her suitcase.

"Oh, by the way miss we can't let you take that on board." He pointed to her sword.

"What? I will not let you take my sword." She readied herself for battle.

"Please miss." He backed off slowly but indicated for some men to come over. "Let's talk about this."

"Would you 2 please come with us?" 1of the 4 men said to Su and Motoko as they appeared behind them and placed a hand on Motoko's shoulder.

"Get you hand off me!" she threw his hand off her shoulder and attacked him with her sword.

" More security at checkpoint 1! We have a disturbance, situation R1!" the attendant yelled on the PA.

"Motoko-chan calm down!" Kitsune yelled as Naru and Shinobu try to calm her down. "Oh no!" she saw a well-armed security squad head their way. Quickly the squad surrounded the girls, Motoko would've attacked if it weren't for Shinobu and Naru restraining her. "Hey boys! Let's talk this over." She pleaded with them.

"Arrest them!" one of the helmeted men said as he pointed his baton at them. 

"Oh no! We have no choice! Su initiate plan T!"

"Rogera!" Su saluted and took a remote from her suitcase and pressed the big red button.

A high-pitched whining noise could be heard from outside and a massive object could be seen, soon the object came to view, it was a large mechanical flying turtle (A.K.A. Mecha Tama, the latest model)of some sort with 2 pairs of turbines, soon it crashed through the windows of the airport.  ****

"Ahhh!! Massive turtle!!!" Motoko screamed as she quickly passed out. The massive turtle opened its mouth.

"Quickly! Everyone get in!" Kitsune signalled them to get in as Su distracted the security squad with smoke bombs projected by the massive turtle. Quickly Shinobu got on with Naru following closely with Motoko on her back, and as soon as Su got on the massive turtle, it closed its mouth and backed up into the skies. 

Back at Hinata Sou

"This is great." Kitsune said sarcastically as she plopped down on the couch.

"Well, it's better than being arrested." Naru said as she stared at the floor disappointed.

"Everyone look at the TV." Shinobu called out as she turned up the volume of the TV and everyone gathered around the TV.

"Due to the recent events on Hinata airport, gates 1 to 4 are inoperable therefore all flights are suspended until further notice." The newsman on the TV said.

"Great, we can't get anywhere!" Kitsune said.

"The airport security was not able to ID the suspects as they escaped too swiftly, any information about them is much appreciated, please call this number on screen."

"What?" The girls said in unison as they moved closer.

"So we're wanted criminals?" Shinobu asked rubbing her tear filled eyes.

"Yes and for now it's best if we're not seen until this is all over. But how will we travel about then?" Motoko enquired.

"There's only one option left…" Kitsune turned to Su, "Su. Have you made the necessary upgrades to Mecha-tama."

"Rogera" she stood up proudly. "Mecha-tama V is ready for take off!"

"Good…" Kitsune turned so that her back faced them she was silent, which made Naru worry.

"Er…Kitsune-chan, what are you planning?" Naru asked.

She turned to face her and there was a glint in her eyes as she gave a wicked smile.

"No." Motoko and Naru said in unison as they knew what she was planning. A thunderstorm suddenly appeared above Hinata Sou as if a sign of what's to come.   

At Aoi Island Kane restaurant

"Yawns… it's been such a slow day." Reiko complained as she finished off her drink.

"It has, hasn't it?" the waitress said.

"Sighs." Reiko slumped on the table.

"So… how was the date?"

Reiko sat up and faced her with a annoyed expression, " Saki-chan, your being rather noisy."

"Sorry, I guess I shouldn't pry." She said quietly.

"No I'm sorry, it's just that it was great."

"Then what?"

"That's it! It was a great date… I should've kissed him." She slumped on the table again.

"Oh…" she stared at her, as she looked up she saw a old woman with a child come in, "I'll go greet the customers." She said as she got up.

"Hello. Welcome to Kane family restaurant, how many will it be?" she greeted the old woman.

"3, my daughter will be here soon." The old woman replied.

"Grandma, when's mommy coming? I'm hungry." The little girl tugged on her arm.

"Soon." She replied.

"This way please." Saki led them to a table.

"I'm soooo bored." Reiko complained still slumped on the table. Thunder clasped in the air causing her to look outside, dark clouds were swirling in the skies above, "Seems like a heavy storm is coming, I think we'll close early and then batten down the place." She got up and headed for the kitchen. (" I sure hope no one is flying in this weather, they're insane if they are.")   

Up in the skies above the North Pacific Ocean

A giant mechanic turtle is seen soaring above the violent storm.

"Su when will we get there?" Naru asked the pilot.

"If we remain at our current velocity and take in account of our landing then…" she adjusted her visor/goggles and started typing in some commands on the keyboard, "In about 1 more hour."

"That long? But it's so cramped." Naru looked back into the cockpit where all the girls had to huddle together in the cramped space.

"Well Mecha-tama V was only designed to be a carrier for Mecha-tama combat suits so that they can be deployed from the air. So only a pilot and co-pilot is needed, that space your using is just space that happened to be there." She pointed her thumb to the back.

"If it's a carrier why can't we use the space below?" 

"Because there's no seats down there and you'll all go rocking back and forth, and because it's loaded with my Mecha-tama combat suits."

"…Su what does the V stand for?" Naru asked as she looked at the label.

"Vertigo." 

"What?" Naru turned to face her.

"This is the prototype, but don't worry this is my best yet, heh heh a new weapon against the turtle army." She grinned, "Hang on we're going in." she moved the joystick forward.

"But Su there's a storm down there, don't you think it dangerous?" Naru hung on to something for support. 

"Don't worry Mecha-tama V is built with the latest alloy, rust-proof, stain-proof and anything else you name." She said rather confidently.

"Is it lightning-proof?"

"…" Su removed her visor/goggles and faced her, she gave a wide smile, "I knew I forgot something." A bolt of lightning hit the craft and all the systems went berserk, on the main display it showed a skull and cross bone with the words " System failure!" flashing underneath. "Everyone brace for impact!" 

"Argh!!" everyone screamed holding on for dear life as the craft spiralled down towards the island.  

3 hours later in _Jigoku_ desert

Having survived the crash the girls decided it was best to set up camp so that repairs can be done and besides it was getting dark, they were right now sitting around a fire having their dinner, they were safe from the desert winds as they were sitting within a rock formation/crater caused by their landing. 

"I can't believe that we survived." Naru said as she dug in to her plate.

"Yes, it was rather fortunate of us." Motoko replied taking a sip of her tea.

"But when can we leave?" Shinobu asked as she handed Kitsune a plate.

"Not until the repairs are done and certainly not at night." Motoko replied sternly, "It can be very dangerous to travel at night in the middle of a desert."

"Hmm, true. Hey Su when are the repairs done?" Naru asked Su who was now on her forth plate.

"Mmmm, good. Can I get fifths?" Su handed her empty plate to Shinobu. 

"Er…sure." Shinobu took the plate from her hand.

"Su!" Naru shouted, "When will the repairs be done?"

"Oh that." She rubbed her chin, "Well the leftmost engine took a massive electric flux causing the circuitry to blow, so I can't repair it with the tools I have now, I've already taken apart 5 of the Mecha-tama suits on board for the parts for the other damaged areas… it won't be perfect but we'll be mobile before dawn I guess." Su took the plate from Shinobu's hand and began eating, again. 

"That's great!" Naru exclaimed.

"Indeed." Motoko agreed.

"We're almost there." Shinobu cheered as she clasped her hands together. 

"Yeah…hey what's that noise?" Kitsune asked. All the girls heard it too, it was the sound of beeping.

"It's my radar!" Su took looked in her pocket and took out the radar, her faced turned to horror, "We're surrounded!" she shouted.

"By what?" Motoko asked readying herself for battle. The answer came to her as thousand of glowing eyes became visible in the darkness around the rock formation/crater she dropped her sword in terror as she realised who the eyes belong to.  "Turtles!!" She screamed. Slowly the massive turtles began to close in on the girls.

"What are they going to do?" Naru asked as the girls all backed up against each other. 

"Myah…" the turtles said in unison as they stopped in front of them and bowed their heads.

The girls were completely shocked at the recent turn of events.

"Myah…" the turtles said again in unison.

"What… are they doing?" Naru asked.

End of chapter 6

Notes: I know the chapter seems to be a bit lacking but I'm in the middle of my exams so… ok I know excuses, anyway I put the answer to my question in the fic and did anyone spot the guest appearance, she was the same waitress Reiko was talking to in the previous chapter, other than that I don't have much to say but the girls will finally meet with Tadayoi and Reiko in the next chapter, heh heh what fun it'll be. Well I finally got the ending sorted a few more chapters or so and I'm done, well keep reading. R+R

         


	7. Reunion and Religion?

Disclaimer: you should know by now…

Note: Well it certainly has been a while, with the exams and all… but that's over and I'm free! Free I tell you, Free! But I still have to go back and then wait until the middle of July…sighs… but… it's good whilst it lasted. Anyway enough rambling anything in () means thoughts and anything in {} means a different language, trust me you'll know. Well, here it goes! Start-o!

Reunion and… Religion? 

Early February, _Jigoku_ Desert 

"Myah…myah…" the turtles continued to chant in front of the girls.

"Err… what are they doing?" Naru asked 

"It does not matter! They are turtles and thus should be exterminated!" Motoko shouted as she drew her sword, "Die foul turtles of Hell! Zantetsusen!" she released a massive surge of Ki from her blade directly towards the turtles, cutting through them and sending some of them flying.

"Myah!" some of the turtles screamed as Motoko continued her merciless attack.

"Motoko-chan stop!" Naru frantically trying to restrain the terrified samurai.

 "Myah!!"{"Gather!!"} One of the turtles yelled out and raised a flipper into the air, all the other turtles sorted themselves out and arranged themselves in 5 rows of 100 plus, seeing this the girls stopped.

 "Hey…what do you think they're doing?" Kitsune asked somewhat nervous.

"I don't know…" Naru answered not taking her eyes off the turtles.

"Myah!" {"Dive!"} That same turtle shouted again, the turtles responded by retracting into their shells and spun themselves into the sand until they were no longer visible.

"Eh?" was the girls' response.

"Myah! {"Ready!"}" The turtle raised its flipper once again, "Myah!!!!!"

{" Fire!!!!!"} It flung its flipper hard on to the ground. The submerged turtles burst out of the ground with tremendous force and soared high into the air, the air whistled as their heavy shells cut through the air, when the turtles reached a high enough altitude they extended their flippers to adjust themselves, kind of like wings on a airplane, they aligned their sight towards the group, retracting their flippers they commenced diving, their target… the girls.

"This doesn't look good…" Naru said worry evident in her voice, "Watch out!" she screamed jumping out of the way as one of the turtle divers crashed near the group causing sand and rock flying into the air forming a small crater. 

"Here comes more!" Kitsune yelled pointed at the on coming turtles. One by one the turtles descended from the sky almost crashing into the girls, and each time they barely just dodge it, it was a massacre of flying turtles crashing everywhere crushing all that was beneath them causing craters wherever they land, it was 'Raining Turtles' literal to the sense.

"Wahhh! Wahhh! Turtles! Turtles everywhere!" Motoko screamed uncontrollably weaving in and out of turtle crashing.

"Motoko-chan take cover!" Naru yelled out as she pointed to the sky, but it was all too late, a turtle landed near her and sent her flying along with the rubble and debris "Ahhh!!" 

"We got you!" Both Kitsune and Naru outstretched their arms and caught her.

"Er… ah… no more turtles…" She mumbled before passing out, swirls in her eyes, white foam foaming at her mouth.

"Motoko-chan!" Naru shook her unconscious body, "That's it!" she stood up "Stop this right now!" she yelled at the top of her lungs and the turtles stop, the ones still in the air landed gracefully near the commanding turtle. "Thank you." She sighed and looked around her, "Wow…" the desert that they had been in now looked like the moon with all the turtle made craters and all, "Let's talk, we didn't mean anything (" Oh great I'm talking to turtles."), you see my friend, she's a bit afraid of turtles and that's why she attacked you all of a sudden." She pointed to Motoko who was now being attended by the other residents, "So we're sorry."

"Myah?" {"Eh?"} The commanding turtle looked back towards its fellow turtles.

"Well we…" she stepped forward a bit.

"Myah!" {"Hey!} The commanding turtle became tense, "Myah!" {"Ready!"} It raised its flipper again and the turtles once again retracted into their shells ready for another 'flight'.

"Ekk!"

"Mew!" {"Stop!"} Tama flew out of nowhere and waved her flippers about wildly.

{"Gasps! It is the sacred flying messenger of the Great Turtle God!"} The commanding turtle said in the language of turtles and quickly bowed to Tama the other turtles quickly followed suite. {"O great flying messenger of the Great Turtle God, we are unworthy of your presence."} It and the other turtles continued to bow.

{"Who me? Sacred Flying messenger?"} Tama pointed a flipper to herself.

{" O sacred flying messenger we the 'Turtle Kind' have waited patiently for centuries for you and the Great Turtle God to arrive and to fulfil the prophecy passed down generations along the turtle blood line, we have prayed and prayed. Finally!  Our prayers have been answered! Here before us lies the great turtle God! All hail the Great Turtle God! All hail the Great Turtle God!"}  The turtle along with its fellow turtles continued to chant and bow.

{"Great Turtle God?"} Tama scratched her head and looked behind her and she finally figured out what they meant, {"They must think that the Mecha-tama is their God!"} Seeing this as an opportunity she decided to play along. {"Yes! I am the Sacred flying messenger of the Great Turtle God! Tama!"} She raised her flippers and declared proudly.

 {" All hail the sacred flying messenger Tama!"} The commanding turtle shouted out, continuing with it's bowing and the other turtles doing the same.

{"Wow! They really believe me?"} Tama whispered to herself.

{" Did you just say something Sacred Flying Messenger?"} 

{" No! No! I was just so happy that all of you are so loyal that's all!"} Tama lied.

{" Of course! We the 'turtle kind' have been followers of the turtle teachings for hundreds of years!"}

{" Hundreds of years!?"} She blurted out. 

{" Yes. Surly great flying messenger that you have heard our prayers over the years."} The turtle responded with a confused look.

{" Of course I have! But it's just that I forgot a few things, I mean our arrival has been a bit messy."} 

{" We are glad that you and the Great Turtle God finally arrived."} The turtle had a single bead of tear in it's eye, {" Me and my people are very happy."} it nods it's head, {" Finally the prophecy will come true!"}

{" What prophecy?"}

{" Surly you jest! It is the prophecy that you yourself handed down to us all those hundreds of years ago!"}

{" Er…which one is that?"}

{" But Sacred Flying Messenger…have you forgotten?"} The turtle asked shocked about Tama's reaction, the other turtles in the background began to talk among themselves expressing their concerns about their religion.

{" No no! It's not that… it's just that I've passed on so many prophecies all across the world that I get them mixed up, yeah that's it! Ha ha ha!"} Tama laughed unconvincingly. 

Eerie silence fell upon them as the turtles stare at her, a lone tumbleweed rolls by. 

{" You see my brothers and sisters! The sacred flying messenger has not abandoned us!"} The commanding turtle preached to its turtle followers and they in turned cheered.

{" Phew! Close shave!"} Tama wiped the sweat off of her brow.

{" O Sacred flying messenger! We are sorry for even doubting you. Please forgive us we are unworthy."} The turtles all lowered their heads.

{" We are unworthy."} They all chanted.

{" Heh heh, no problem I forgive you."} She waved it off.

{" You truly are great!"} The turtle brightened up, {" So… sacred flying messenger you have come to fulfil the prophecy?"}

{" Er…yeah…but which one?"} Tama asked carefully trying not to blow it.

{" O! How silly of me! I forgot to tell you nor did I introduce myself."} The turtle adjusted itself and cleared its throat, {" I am _Umi_. The head priest of the 'turtle kind', it is an honour to make your acquaintance."} He bowed.

{" Nice to meet you!"} She raised a flipper.

{" Now sacred flying messenger the prophecy that I refer to is the one in the ancient scriptures."}

{" Ancient scriptures?"}

{" Yes, the final prophecy, which states: ' On the night of a violent lightning storm the skies shall bellow the full fury of Heaven and from the divine light the Great Turtle God along with the sacred flying messenger shall descend towards Earth and fulfil an ancient promise.'"}

{" An ancient promise?"}

{" Yes! A promise to restore the ancient turtle civilization and unite the humans and the turtles once again!"}

{" What?"}

{" You see, centuries ago when our civilization was at its peak we the 'turtle kind' and the humans lived together peacefully, we benefited each other, they would harvest the land and we in turn help them navigate the seas and catch fish. But in time humans became more and more aware of each other, some outsiders from beyond the horizon came and introduced the islanders to new ideas, we the turtle kind were soon forgotten…"} _Umi_ paused for a moment, {" We decided that if the humans wanted to accept a new faith we have no right to stop them, we decided to live in the dessert so that we won't bother them, some of us decided to stay to guard the humans. True that some humans still hold us in high regards but not a lot though, majority of them just think of us as pets now. How we have fallen."}

{" That's so sad."} Tama had mini tears in her eyes.

{" But it is our belief in the prophecy that has kept us going all this time! We have not lost faith! We have not… Hey! What is that human doing?"} _Umi_ pointed out to Su who was on top of Mecha-tama V trying to get its weapon system back on line.

{" Su! No! Get off of it!"} Tama flew up to her waving her flippers about.

" What's that Tama? You want me to eat you?" She drooled.

{" No! They think your harming their God!"} Tama tried to fly away but she wasn't fast enough, Su quickly grabbed Tama and stuffed her in her mouth, head first.

{"Sacred flying messenger!!! No!!!"} _Umi_ screamed.

"Su-chan get off from there!" Naru waved at her from the bottom, "And get Tama out off your mouth she's not for eating!"

{" Right Turtles! Attacking us is one thing but our God and Sacred flying messenger! Nay! Since they did not yield under the power of our  'Turtle Shower Blitz', patented of course, we shall use our ultimate attack using the knowledge and power of our great ancestors we shall summon the ultimate technique of destruction against our foe ' Turtle Meteor Crush!' also patented of course. Brothers! Sister! Let us begin!"}

The turtles gathered and began to form circles around _Umi_ and they began to chant, channelling their _ki_ into _Umi_, _Umi_ absorbing the energy that his fellow turtles are giving to him began to glow a dark red.

"That doesn't look right. A glowing turtle? Am I already drunk?" Kitsune asked to no one in particular.

"No… I see it's glowing too…" Naru stared on.

"Are you sure we're safe?" Shinobu asked worriedly whilst cradling the stirring Motoko on her lap.

" Great surge of _Ki_…" she mumbled.

The skies began to darken as the winds began to twist and grow stronger, thunder clasped and the earth quaked.

{" Now!"} _Umi_ shouted and shot a beam of _Ki_ into the sky parting the skies. The ground rumbled as something from the sky began to descend, moments later the cause of the disturbance became visible. It was a massive meteor engulfed in flames slowly approaching the ground. Motoko stirred once more soon regaining consciousness just in time to see the Meteor.

The girls stared in shock and terror as they saw the Meteor and their expression said the same thing, ' What the Hell is that!?' 

Aoi Island inland, stray path leading to mountains 

"Do you two feel that?" Granddad asked Reiko and Tadayoi.

They both nodded with their eyes closed and a look of concentration on their faces. "Its in the desert, a great and ancient power." Reiko answered.

"But why is it there…wait it's disappearing." Tadayoi responded, "It's completely gone…" he opened his eyes.

"It has…" Reiko said somewhat confused, "Why did it appear in the first place?" she and Tadayoi turned to Granddad.

"I wish I knew." He stroked his beard.

At the same time, _Jigoku_ Desert    

Whilst the group stared on at their doom Tama managed to pry her self free from Su's mouth. {"I thought I was done for…"} she took a handkerchief from nowhere and wiped the drool off of her shell she looked at the girls' faces and they all had the same expression, {" What is everyone staring at?"} She looked on at their line of vision and saw what terrified them, {" What is that!!??"} frantically she looked around for some sort of idea, then she found it. {"_Umi_ what are you doing!?"}

{" Sacred flying messenger! I am glad that you are safe, I thought that vile human had consumed you."} _Umi_ answered whilst still concentrating on the Meteor looming over them.

{" I'm glad your worried, but what's all this?"} 

{" Need not worry Sacred flying messenger we the 'turtle kind' shall smite them for you! There is no need for you to raise a flipper!"}

{" But won't you get killed?"}

{" I am very happy that you show such concern for us, your lowly followers, but you need not worry, this is an ancient technique of the 'turtle kind' our hard shells will protect us from the impact. And I'm sure you sacred flying messenger will be perfectly safe."}

{" Er…well…no wait! I…er… order you to stop!"}

{" But why sacred flying messenger?"} _Umi_ asked completely confused.

{" I'll explain but for now please stop."} Tama pleaded.

{"…If that is what you wish Sacred flying messenger."} With a bit of effort _Umi_ shot another beam of _Ki_ into the sky at the Meteor and it quickly rose above the skies returning to space in which it came from. {" Ha…haaa…it drains so much energy…"} _Umi_ took deep breaths and collapsed on his under belly, some of the other turtles did the same whilst the others retracted into their shells.

{"_Umi_! Are you OK?"}

{" You need not worry sacred flying messenger, that technique requires a lot of energy, me and my brothers and sisters are just merely exhausted."}

{"Oh that good. So you'll all be OK?"} _Umi_ nodded.

{" But Sacred flying messenger, why did you ask us to stop?"}

{" Er…you see they are…er…worshipers of the Great Turtle God…and they're my friends."}

{" Unbelievable! That human over there tried to consume you!"} 

{" We have a strange bond."} 

{" Then why did that human attack us?"} He indicated to Motoko.

{" Well she was trying to protect her friends."} _Umi_ scanned Tama's face and saw that it was genuine.

{" You have made friends with the humans… you truly are here to fulfil the prophecy… I am glad."} He smiled at her, {" Sacred flying messenger… let us talk another time for now myself as well as my brothers and sisters need rest."}

{" Oh! Yeah sure! Goodnight!"}

{" Good night, Sacred flying messenger."} Closing his eyes _Umi_ retracted into his shell and snored soundly.    

"What was that?" Naru asked as she fell to her knees.

"I don't know, but it was powerful and I doubt we could've survived it though." Motoko said glad it was all over, "But why did it stop?"

"I think it had something to do with Tama." Shinobu said as they all turned to Tama who was still floating over _Umi_'s sleeping form.

"Mew?" Tama turned to face them.

"Tama…what did you do?" Naru asked.

"Mew mew!" Tama flapped her flippers.

"Er…I don't get it what she's trying to tell us?" Kitsune stared at Tama.

"She wants me to eat her…ha ha…here Tama, come here girl… heh heh…" Su had a wicked grin on her face as she advanced on the retreating Tama.

"For the last time Su, Tama is not for eating!" Naru pulled her back from the collar and placed her a suitable distance away from Tama. "Anyway, Tama what did you do?" 

"Mew mew?" They all stare at her quizzically.

"Mew…" Tama placed a flipper under her chin and began to circle around, suddenly she swooped down and picked up a pebble and began to write on the desert floor in somewhat elegant Japanese. The girls, with the exception of Su stared in awe due to the fact that Tama can actually write and the contents of her story were somewhat unbelievable. Upon finishing Tama threw down the pebble and pointed a flipper at her work. "Mew!" 

"Wow! I never knew Tama could write so well." Shinobu stared at the writing.

"Forget that! Look at what it says." Kitsune knelt down and began to examine the writing.

"Turtle God…Sacred Flying Messenger…'Turtle Kind'…You…you mean there are more of them!" Motoko screamed as she drew her sword but everyone lunged at her and restrained her under their combined weight.

"Turtle stew." Su said as she began to fill a large pot/king size cauldron with vegetables. 

"Su!!" they all yelled at her in unison.

"OK let's get things sorted." Naru said to everyone as she finished tying the ropes around Su and gagging her, "First, they think that Mecha-Tama V is their 'Turtle God'. Second, they think Tama is their 'Sacred Flying Messenger' and because Su attacked her they tried to kill us." Everyone turns to Su, who just smiles at them and nods. "But because they used a lot of energy to use…what was it again?" she looks at the writing, " 'Turtle Meteor crush'…right…they're temporally knocked out, which gives us time. Su, how long will it take you to fix Mecha-Tama?"

"No time at all!" Su replied from the top of Mecha-Tama mysteriously freed from her bindings.

"Good that means we don't have to linger any further in this forsaken desert and with…with these unholy powerful creatures." Motoko said disdainfully.

"Then it's agreed, when Su repairs Mecha-Tama we leave." Naru asked everyone.

"Hai!" everyone replied.

"Mew…" Tama looked at the sleeping shells.

"You'll miss them, won't you Tama?" Shinobu asked her.

"Mew." She nodded.

"It's OK. You'll see them again."

2 hours later

"It's done!" Su raised her fist into the air in triumph. Everyone cheered as they heard her but quickly silenced themselves careful not to wake up the turtles.

"Alright then. Hurry let's get on." Naru signalled them to get in, quickly everyone boarded, Tama being the last.

{"Wait!"} Tama stopped dead in her tracks and turned to see _Umi_. {" Sacred Flying Messenger where are you going?"} He asked her.

{"Well…you see the Great Turtle God needs to return to heaven see and we…"}

{" It's alright, I know you're not really who you claim to be."} _Umi_ interrupted her, this caused Tama to tense up, {" It's perfectly fine, though you have lied to us you have brought us hope."}

{"Huh?"}

{" You have managed to befriend the humans, which means that there is still hope for us."}

{"I'm sorry."}

{"Ha ha, no need Sacred Flying Messenger, no need"}

{" But what about the others?"}

{" I shall tell them that you have returned to the heavens and will return again. Sacred Flying Messenger, where do you intend to go?"}

{"We're looking for someone."}

{"Then why don't you look in the human settlement north of here, the former captain of the royal guard resides there, perhaps he knows of something, but be careful he might be old but he is still very powerful, perhaps more so than us."} 

{"Thanks."}

{"No thank you, for now I bid you farewell, until next time, Tama."}

"Tama, hurry!" Naru shouted from the cockpit.

_Umi_ nodded and turned around to his brothers and sisters who were now beginning to wake up. As Tama flew in Mecha-Tama revved up and took off in to the skies. The Turtles below stared on as the Mecha-Tama rose to the skies. In the cockpit Tama looked out of the window and waved goodbye, a trickle of tear rolled down her face.  

3 hours later on the outskirts of the town

After being cramped in the cockpit once again and travelling in a rather unstable vehicle, the girls had finally exited the desert and were now near the town but unfortunately the Mecha-Tama's energy cells ran out, so they had to walk to town.

"Su-chan I can't believe we have to walk, I haven't even had any sake yet!" Kitsune moaned.

"The battery must've leaked." Su replied plainly whilst munching on a banana. 

"It is better that we walk rather than fly in that cramped contraption and besides we're still wanted remember. We can't just stroll into the airport and walk out." Motoko said looking around in case anyone or 'anything' suddenly attacked them.

"Yeah, we'll probably be greeted by armed guards." Naru said

"Mew." Tama agreed whilst reading her book, where she got it nobody knew. The book was titled: 'Archaeology for dummies: A guide to the ancient turtle civilisation' by Noriyasu Seta. Finally after walking for 30 minutes or so, the girls came up to a house close to the beach with an unusual shaped rock on the front porch.

"Wow! What a nice house! And a great view too!" Shinobu stopped in front of the house.

"Sighs…I'm so tired and thirsty." Kitsune complained as she sat on the oddly shaped rock.

"Well, let's rest for now and get our bearings sorted shall we?" Naru asked everyone, seeing them nod she was satisfied, "Maybe we can ask the people who live here for help." She went up to the door and knocked, "Hello! Anyone in there?" no response so she knocked again but this time louder, "Hello! Can you give us some directions!?" Still no response, "I guess no ones there…" before she could continue however a noise interrupted her.

"Myah!" 

"Tama was that you?" Naru asked Tama who just shook her head.

"Myah!" 

"There it was again." Motoko said she was now on high alert.

"Hey!" Kitsune yelled.

"Kitsune-chan what's wrong?" Naru asked

"I thought I felt the earth move…hey there it was again…hey!" Kitsune was thrown off the rock as _Kame_ awoke annoyed that the girls had disturbed his sleep and the fact that Kitsune had been sitting on him all this time.

"Ahh! Another turtle! Die vile creature! Hiken Zankuusen!" she lunched an attack at _Kame_ and Kitsune quickly scurried out of the way before it hit her, however the attack did nothing but ricocheted off _Kame_'s extra thick shell, "How?" before Motoko got an answer though _Kame_ opened his mouth and breathed a stream fire in their direction in a arc pattern.

"Wahh!" All the girls ran for cover and ducked behind whatever they could find.

"What's up with the turtles on this island?!" Kitsune screamed as she placed her arms to protect her head. "Everyone that we've met so far has been trying to kill us!"

"If Motoko-chan hadn't attacked maybe this wouldn't have happened!" Naru screamed as she ducked from another flame attack by _Kame_.

"Demons!! They're all Demons!!" Motoko yelled as she got up and charged _Kame_ with her sword drawn, she dodged the streams of fire one by one and as soon as she got close she brought her sword down on _Kame_ but instead _Kame_ she hit a orange hexagonal screen instead. "Huh? What's this?"

"That's an AT field!" Su pointed out from behind the covers.

"A what?" Motoko turned to her.

"Motoko-chan watch out!" Naru pointed at her.

"What?" Motoko turned back to _Kame_ and saw that she was standing in front of a massive sphere of fire, "Oh no." the flaming sphere shot forth from _Kame_ and completely swallowed Motoko whole all that was heard was a scream, seconds later the sphere exploded and lunched a burnt and charred Motoko into the air whom landed near the girls.

"Motoko-chan are you OK?" Naru shook her burnt body, all she got was mumbles.

{"Your champion has fallen!  And tis time that we end this foreign devils! I shall not allow you to spread your influences to the people whom I protect yet again, prepare to feel thy wrath! For I am _Kame_ captain of the royal guards of the great turtle civilisation!"} He planted his flippers into the ground and raised his head to the skies, {" O Great Turtle God up in heaven, I your lowly follower beseech you to bestow upon me your vast and infinite power, so that I may bring forth your wrath on to these demons in disguises and send them to Hades so that they will repent for their sins. Great Turtle God! I beseech you!"} He yelled to the skies. The skies for the second time in the day darken and a bolt of energy struck _Kame_ causing him to over flow with energy, {" This power! Thank you Great Turtle God! Finally with this power I can use my ultimate attack 'Ultimate Turtle Flash Flare' patented of course by the royal guards of the great turtle civilisation. I will burn you all to cinders!"} _Kame_ leapt high into the air and hovered there, raising his front flippers red energy began to swirl in between them and took on the shape of a sphere, the temperature around him rose dramatically.  

"Oh my God! It's gonna kill us!!" Kitsune yelled running around frantically. The shock of it all was too much for Shinobu causing her to faint, Su was dancing around singing something about a BBQ and Naru desperately trying to keep everything under control.

{" It is time! Be gone foreign devils! You shall corrupt their minds no more!"} He flung the energy ball at the girls. Tama out of nowhere flew in front of the energy ball, seeing this he diverted the ball into the horizon where it exploded and set the entire horizon on fire for a few minutes. {" Young one! Why did you stop me?"} _Kame_ asked Tama as he landed.

{" They're my friends I won't let you hurt them!"} Tama told him defiantly.

{" But they're foreign devils here to corrupt the minds of the innocent people of this island!"}

{" They're not!"}

{" How do you know? And who do you think you are?"}

{" I am the Sacred Flying Messenger! So bow before me!"} _Kame_ just stared at her unconvinced, {" I am! So bow!"} Again he just stared at her, Tama was starting to get worried now.

 {" I don't believe you."} 

{" Why don't you? I can fly! So I must be the sacred flying messenger!"}

{" For one, you arrived 239 years early than prophesised."} She twitched as a weight fell on her, {" Second, the sacred flying messenger has a golden shell."} Another weight struck Tama, {" And last but not least, your shell says 'Tama hot spring turtle, if found please return to Hinata Sou. Thank you signed the manager'"} A massive weight fell on her and almost crushed her, slowly getting up from the weight she faced him. {" For shame! I cannot believe a fellow turtle lying in order to protect these foreign devils! I shall burn you as well!"} He drew in a large breath.

{" No wait! Please we're sorry!"} Tama bowed repeatedly, {" Sorry! Sorry! Sorr…great granddad is that you?"} _Kame_ stopped when he heard what she just said.

{" Young one do I know you?"} Tama flew in close and inspected his face.

{" Great granddad it is you!"} Tama yelled out joyfully, _Kame_ had a puzzle look on his face, {" It's me Tama, your 197th great granddaughter!"} He shook his head, slowly it came to him.

{" Now I remember! Tama from Okinawa!"} Tama nodded happily, {" Ah, great granddaughter what brings you here?"} he asked her his anger forgotten

{" Well…its…"} 

{" It can't be because you're here to lay eggs, your still flying so you're still young…"} he interrupted her

{" No its…"}

{" Wait! I know! You're here to learn how to breath fire, but I can't teach you until your fire lungs have developed, have they?"}

{" No not yet, but that's not why I came…"} Tama was rather annoyed at this point

{" Wait! I know! You're looking for someone!"}

{" No. No wait! I mean yes!"}

{" Well Tama, I'm sorry but you just missed your great grandmother, she's not here any more."} _Kame _looked at the ground.

{"I'm not looking for great grandma, hey wait. What happened to great grandma?"}

{" She's gone now, she's left us now. How I miss her so…"} 

{" Great granddad, I'm sorry I didn't know that great grandma was…"} She approached him slowly but was sent back when he suddenly raised his head.

{" She left for Hawaii 2 years ago! But I just got a post card from her!"} _Kame_ beamed and held out a post card with a turtle on it and the phrase 'Wish you were here' on it. Tama fell to the ground.

{" Great granddad listen to me! I'm looking for this person!"} Tama retracted into her shell and produced a missing poster in one flipper, she showed it to him.

{" Hmm, looks like Tadayoi."} 

{" You mean you've seen him?"}

{" Yes."} He nodded.

{"Where can I find him?"}

{" Why are you looking for him?"} He asked.

{" Well it's like this…"} Tama began to tell her story.

As Tama began to explain her story to her great granddad, the girls began to rationalize things.

"Hey how come we're not dead?" Kitsune asked Naru.

"I don't know, but I think it's because Tama is reasoning with it." 

"What do you think they're talking about?"

" I don't know." Naru shook her head (" I wish Mutsumi-san was here. Where is she anyway?"). "But I think we should take this opportunity and regroup." 

Tibet at the foothills of Mount Everest

Within the vast halls of an ancient monastery, Tibetan monks sat in the central hall and prayed to their ancient relics. In front of the relics sat a lone figure meditating facing the group, the only woman amongst them.

"Ara ara? Did someone just call my name out?" Mutsumi smiled looking left and right.

"Enlightened one. Do you need something?" The abbot of the monastery asked her in broken Japanese.

"No, I thought I heard someone call me." Mutsumi told him her smile still present.

"It must be because you reached Nirvana enlightened one." He bowed to her, "But if you are ever in need of anything, please do not hesitate to ask." 

"Ara ara, that's so kind of you." She beamed even brighter (" Wow! All I did was book a flight overseas to look for Kei-kun and I ended up in China, but it's been so nice over the past 9 weeks. They were very kind to look after me when I fainted on the street and when I sat down they said that they saw an aura of light behind me and told me that I was the reincarnated enlightened one, ara ara.") 

"I don't see how we're reaching enlightenment." One of the monks whispered in Chinese.

"Yeah I know. All we've done so far is look after her when ever she transcends to Nirvana." Another monk whispered.

"Silence!" The abbot whacked their heads with a cane, "Have you not seen her light! It is the glow of the enlightened one." He pointed out.

"But master…"

"Silence! You shall fast for the day and learn the meaning of discipline."

"But master! Her soul has left her body!" the monk pointed to Mutsumi's unconscious body.

"What? Enlightened one!" the abbot rushed to Mutsumi's limp body and shook her. "She is just in a trance that is all! Like she always does!" the abbot said nervously, the other monks began to gather around.

"But abbot!" the monk took out his Rolex watch, "It's been over 30 minutes, she's never been out this long before." All the monks turn to the abbot.

"Er…Enlightened one please wake up!" he shook her again, her head fell to the side, "Run down to the town and get help!" he yelled and everyone started running around frantically.

"Ara ara?" Mutsumi sat up, everyone fell to the ground.

"Enlighten one, I'm glad that you are all right but please don't scare us like that again." He sounded relieved.

"Ara ara." She rubbed the side of her head, "I am hungry though."

"Then we shall eat watermelons again." Even though the monks could not speak Japanese, over the last 9 weeks however they have learned to dread one word, and that word is watermelon. 

"Again?!" The monks said in unison.

"Yes again!"

"I might be a vegetarian, but evenI have my limits." One of the monks moaned.

"I can endure walking on hot coal and bash my head against a brick wall, but please not another slice!" another moaned.

"Yes master! Please! I rather climb up that icy water fall again." A third moaned, then all the other monks began to say their piece.

"Silence!!" he yelled silencing them all, "For that all of you will have to do extra chores!"

"Yay! I mean, sorry master we shall do as you say!" they chanted in unison and promptly left.

"Sighs…such lack of discipline." He turned to Mutsumi, who was still smiling, "I'm sorry enlightened one but I will need to supervise them, please go eat by yourself." He walked off but mumbled something before he closed the doors, "No watermelon for me then." 

"Ara ara more for me!" She bit into one of the slices, "Mmm."

Aoi Island, outside Kane family house

 {"So that's the story."} Tama finished taking a sip from her lemon tea.

{" Oh…I see that's quite a story, and you met _Umi_ too."} _Kame_ said taking one of the rice crackers from the bowl.

{" Yeah, it must've been because it was still dark, so he got me mistaken."}

{"His hearts in the right place, I'm glad he's still OK."}

{"So Great granddad, do you know where I can this person?"} Tama showed him the missing poster again. 

{" Mmm, yes."} He turned to his right, {" You see that path? All you have to do is follow it for about another 40 minutes and walk into the town centre, walk to the end and you should see a large restaurant, you should find him there."}

{" Right. So I just go down and turn right."} _Kame_ nods, {" OK great granddad, thanks!"}

{" Wait Tama!"} He handed a book to Tama, {" Take it."}

{" What is this? 'Guides to the techniques of the turtle kind for young turtles' why are you giving me this?"}

{" You are coming of age Tama, you need to learn how to defend yourself using the turtle arts."}

{"Oh?"} She flipped to the first page, {" All the techniques in this book is patented by the 'Turtle kind' if there are any inquires please do not hesitate to call our customer hot line, or write to us at this address, or even e-mail us. Thank you."} She looked up at him.

{" We take it very seriously."} 

{" Oh... Wow! 'Turtle sickle ' seems easy enough."}  

{" Yes it has all the techniques that the 'turtle kind' has ever created and more."}

{"Thank you great granddad!"} Closing the book she took off for the girls but _Kame_ held on to her flipper.

{" Tama. I am the protector of this land and I will not allow foreigners to enter."} His attention shifted to the girls.

"Naru-sempai that turtle's looking at us." Shinobu said hanging on to Naru's arm.

"Vile turtle!" Motoko reached for sword but Naru placed her hand in front of Motoko and gave her a stare that said 'don't do anything stupid' understanding the message she just kept a watchful eye.  

{"Great granddad! They're my friends!"} He shook his head, {"How about I take responsibility?"}

{"Hmm…alright I suppose…but one false move, just one and I will show no mercy."} He informed her.

{"Right!"} Tama saluted him and flew to the girls. Using flipper gestures and a notepad she informed the girls where they could possibly find the missing manager. Glad they finally have some sort of hope the girls left swiftly under the suspicious eyes of _Kame_.

{" Hmm, I still don't trust them. At least that young turtle will keep an eye on them. Such an adorable turtle, what was her name again? Oh well, I wonder what happened to my 197th great granddaughter, haven't seen her for quite some time now."} Letting out a big yawn _Kame_ retracting into his shell and seconds later sounds of snoring could be heard.

Path on the outskirts of town

Having sensing numerous outbursts of _Ki_ disturbance in one day, the members of the Kane family deduced that something was wrong, something was disrupting the turtle order since the first few outbreaks were in the desert there was nothing they could do, however the more recent ones were closer to town so the youngest member of the family decided to investigate by herself. She was now on her way back home where the latest outbreak occurred, she already had a fairly good idea of what could've happened.

"I'm sure that _Ki_ signature matched _Kame_'s, but he only charges up when he's being attacked. I hope he's OK." Reiko said to herself. After a few minutes of walking she came across a group of girls who stopped her for directions.

"Umm excuse me, do you know where the town centre is?" Naru asked her.

"Yeah sure. Head down this path and you should be there in about 20 minutes." She pointed to the path.

"Thank you."

"Are you tourists?" Reiko asked her noticing the odd group.

"Yeah, we just arrived a few hours ago."

"Through the desert?" Reiko's eyebrows raised.

"How did you know?"

"Because there are only two ways into town, this one and the northern route. Mmm…might I ask why are you here?"

"Well…" before Naru could answer however Motoko's scream interrupted her.

"Turtle!" She slashed at a rock.

"Motoko-chan that's just a rock." Kitsune informed her. Reiko stared at her quizzically.

"Our friend's a bit turtle phobic." Naru told Reiko.

"Then this isn't the place to be." She told them plainly.

"Why's that?" everyone turned to her.

"You see. We're on Aoi Island, home of the highest concentration of turtles all across the world." Motoko is seen running around in the background screaming 'turtles' with Su clung around her waist, everyone else ignores them, "As I was saying the reason for this is because this is the breeding grounds for turtles, momma turtles come here to lay their eggs on the beach, when the turtles hatch they swim into the ocean. Finally when the turtle hatchlings grow up they return to where they hatched and lay eggs there, this has been going on before humans even appeared on the this island."

"Oh I see, that sure explains a lot." Kitsune mused.

"Not only is Aoi Island home of the highest concentration, it also has the most variety of turtles, some even only appear on this island. There's also one thing you all should know, this island was once under the rule of an ancient turtle civilisation so many people still hold the turtle in high regards, be careful of what you do some islanders might be offended if you do anything to the turtles. But I wouldn't worry to much." She placed her hands on her hips.

"Why's that?" Naru asked.

"Because majority of the turtles on this island are direct descendants of the turtle civilisation so they have special abilities for defending themselves, that's why people used to worship them." She told them matter-of-factly.

"We know." They told her as images of being attacked by the turtles flash across their minds, "We know."    

"You do? Oh well, hey is that a hot spring turtle? It's so cute." Reiko took a hold of Tama.

"Mew!"

"Oh! So your name's Tama? Nice to meet you, I'm Reiko."

"Wait how do you know her name's Tama? Do you know turtle speech?" Naru asked her.

"Cause it says so on her shell." She tilts Tama towards them, everyone crashes to the ground. "Hmm…her fire lungs haven't developed yet." She examines Tama's under belly. "You know I have a hot spring turtle back home as well, but he's rather old now, he lost the ability of flight quite a while ago." She let go of Tama and hovered in front of her. 

"Mew."

"Oh, so your hungry." Reiko dug something out of her pocket and handed it to Tama and she took it gratefully.

"Mew!" She mewed happily as she finished the pellet off. 

"I knew you'll like, that's turtle chow every turtle likes it. If you want more you can go into town, every islander leaves a plate out for the turtles, if that isn't enough you can go to my restaurant, they'll sure to give you something." At the mention of food the girls' stomach rumbled, Su detaching herself from the yet again unconscious Motoko jumped and latched herself onto Reiko with full force.

"You have a restaurant? Yay food!" She yelled happily applying more force, but it seems to have no effect on her.

"Yeah, I guess you're all hungry. It's the last one on the right, you're in luck too because Tadayoi's cooking his specialty." She smiled.

"Who?"

"He's a cook. Oh no! Look at the time I need to go! See ya!" Reiko took off waving at them.

"Oh yeah! Thanks!" Naru waved back, once she was out of sight Naru turned to the others. "She was friendly. I guess we should get going." 

"What happened?" Motoko asked as she got up.

"It's best you don't know." Kitsune told her placing an arm around her and pushed her to start walking.

"I see."

"I have a theory! And it confirms my suspicions!" Su jumped up.

"What is it?" Shinobu asked.

"It's that this island is actually the secret breeding and training grounds for the turtle army in preparation for their invasion! I will use my Mecha army and defeat them" Su raised her fist.

"I knew it! The turtles are conspiring! I, heir to the Shinmei Ryu shall eradicate the turtle threat!" Motoko raised her sword, both laughed manically.

"Er…" The remaining girls sweat dropped. This continued for the next few minutes.

"The quicker we find Keitaro, the quicker we get off this island." Naru mumbled.

Outside Kane family house

"What the Hell happened!!??" Reiko screamed, surveying the destruction. "_Kame_! _Kame_! Where are you? Thank God!" She spotted _Kame_ and ran to him, "What happened? Who did this?" She shook his shell.

"Myah." He popped his head out, "Myah."

"I know you were attacked, by who and are you OK?" He nodded.

"Myah."

"A group of strangers? Wait!" Letting go of him she realised whom he was referring to, "It was those girls! I should've known!"  She stomped her foot down, "Ah, never mind, they didn't seem that strong, not even that _Samurai_ with the Hina blade." She looked at the destruction once more, "I guess you gave them a warm welcome."

"Myah!" He nodded happily.

"I guess we'll leave the cleaning up to Tadayoi, that's what's he for." She smiled.    

Kane family restaurant 

"Achoo!" Tadayoi sneezed.

"Careful, we don't want you catching a cold." Saki said giving him a tissue as she came in to the kitchen.

"Thanks." He took it and blew his nose with it.

"Hmm… Reiko-chan sure has been gone for a long time."

"Don't worry. She can take care of herself."

"Yeah. Hey, what's up?"

"Another plate for table 7." Saki said placing some dirty plates into the very full sink.

"Another? How large is the party at the table?"

"5."

"5! With that amount of food eaten I thought there was at least 20!"

"Actually it was only done by one person."

"One! I gotta see this." He moved out of the kitchen. And low and behold he saw Su swallowing yet another plate.

"Hey bring me another!" Su shouted out.

"Su-chan stop that, we don't have enough money!" Motoko said.

"But I'm hungry…" 

"Wow I've never seen anyone eat that much before." Tadayoi said as he approached the group.

"We're sorry about this." Naru turned to face him and her face immediately went in to an unreadable expression and then joy. "Keitaro!" She jumped up from her seat and everyone followed suit. "Baka! I can believe you've been here all of this time!"

"Huh?"

"Urashima how dare you make us worry like that!"

"What?"

"Sempai!"

"Eh?"

"Keitaro!" Su latched on to him.

"Argh!"

"Miss me?" Kitsune stroke her hand across his chest causing him to blush furiously. And for the next few minutes the girls huddled around him and continued to bombard him with questions.

"Hey! Wait a second!" He shouted pushing the huddle aside. "Exactly who are you all?" He asked them.

"Stop kidding Keitaro, you won't get off this easily." Naru narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'm sorry miss, but I've seen you in my life as a matter of fact I don't think I've ever seen any of you." All the girls went silent.

"Stop kidding." Naru tried to laugh it off but stopped when she saw the seriousness on his face, "Your not are you?" He just shook his head. Again there was silence and the same questions went through the girls' minds 'How? Why? When?' 

"Erm, listen maybe we should talk another time, maybe after the restaurant closes." He got no response, "Hello?" he waved his hand in front of Naru's face who was still in shook, "Strange."

"Keitaro, don't you remember me?" She held out her trembling hands towards him, "Do you?" 

"Er…miss." He took a step back.

"Don't you remember our promise? That we'll go to Toudai together?" She held back her tears.

"Promise? I don't have any idea of what you're talking about. I've never made such a promise." ("Wait. How come this sounds so familiar."). Naru felt something break inside of her.

"…Keitaro…" her voice breaking.

"Miss maybe you have me mistaken with someone else." He took another step back.

"Keitaro!" She lunged at him and warped her arms around him.

"Miss!" 

"Let him go!" A voice yelled out from the door.

"Reiko-chan!" He shouted out in delight.

"You hussy! Let him go!" She took Naru by the collar and threw her aside.

"Are you alright Naru-sempai?" Motoko went to her aid. "How dare you attack her!" She drew her sword.

"Your form is weak." Reiko said as she scanned her from head to toe her analysing her. 

"How dare you say that! Ha!" She brought her sword down on her, Reiko effortlessly sidesteps the blade and knocks the blade out of her hand. "How?" 

"I knew your skill the minute I saw you hold your sword." She smirked, "Tadayoi-kun."

"Hai." 

"Go home and sort things out will you? Oh and get ready." 

"Sure." He walked towards the door but stopped when Naru called out to him.

"Wait! Keitaro!" she ran up towards him but was stopped by Reiko.

"Go." 

"Er…yeah…" he replied with a look of uncertainty and walked off.

"Wait!" Naru tried to stop him but again Reiko stopped her. "Get out of my way! I need to talk to him!"

"He doesn't have to talk to you." She emphasised the last word.

"Argh." Pulling her arm back Naru readied herself to deliver one of her famous Naru-punches. As she swung Reiko as before merely sidestepped.

"Ha ha." Reiko chuckled.

"Argh!" Annoyed, Naru decided to try again, and again she missed but because she put extra force on this punch she extended herself too much causing her to step forward slightly. Reiko taking advantage of this tripped her over causing her to fly out the door. "Ouch!" She rubbed her face.

"For god's sake just give up." Reiko walked up to Naru with her arms folded. 

"Never!" She raised her fists and readied for another round. She looked around to she if the missing manager is still around. 

"Hm hm… you've got guts. Listen I'll stand here and let you hit me." She spread her arms out, "Go on, I swear, I won't move."

"Hargh!" Drawing her fist back an aura of _K_i surrounding her fist all that anger and frustration all in a single punch. She swung her fist as hard as she can aimed at Reiko's head and it connected. The effect was however was not what everyone had expected, all the punch did was sent Reiko step back a little and her head tilted back a bit.

"Not bad, for someone with as little training as you." Reiko said as wiped the trickle of blood from the side of her mouth to face a horrified Naru. The other residents had the same expression.

"That's impossible! I sensed a tremendous amount of _Ki_ behind that punch and it didn't even phase her." Motoko said in horror.  

"Now. Let's see how you can handle my punches." Reiko said in a low tone.

"Naru-sempai! Quickly get away from her!" Motoko yelled but she wasn't fast enough, before she could even finish Naru was sent flying across the street from what seemed to be a blur. 

Bang!

Naru's body hit a lamppost, which due to the impact broke in two.

"Naru-sempai!" 

"Naru-sempai! Are you OK?" All the girls rush to her side and what laid beside them was not pretty, there was blood trickling down the side of her head.

"Keitaro…no…" Her head rolled to the side as she lost her conscious.

End of chapter 7

AN: Well it certainly has bee awhile, sorry about the lateness. Well let's clear a few things. 

-The truth is I had this chapter planned out the moment I finished chapter 6, but unfortunately the time in between was exam time. Hey! At least this chapter is longer. Oh and I'm sorry if this chapter's been a bit whack, I was trying for the humour approach.

-_Kame_'s AT field is a concept belonging to Evangelion, which I don't own. Saki is the same one from Steel Angel Kurumi, which I also don't own.

-Some of you might think that I've been cruel to the girls especially Motoko but hey its turtles what did you expect? These aren't ordinary turtles as well mind you, I wanted to make their first impressions to last. 

-Mutsumi's in China because she booked a long flight, if she had taken the right flight she would've ended up on the same island as Tadayoi/Keitaro and what fun that would've been. I got the idea of enlightened one from volume 7 of the manga. I don't think she'll be making any more appearances, due to the fact that it will have a dramatic effect on the story. This brings me to another point, before any of you hound me I will not bring Kanako in to this, why? The thing is Kanako missed her entrance a few chapters ago when Haruka mentioned Keitaro's mum calling, I meant to include that conversation in which Keitaro's mum mentions sending Kanako over but I didn't because if I did introduce Kanako she would've, 1) blame all the residents and 2) kicked the residents out. If that did happen it would've slow down the story and I risk boring the story. As a good author he must be able to decide whether to include a character or not, and if so when. There is no such thing as a minor character as each character have their own unique way of affecting the story. That's what I think, the veterans of FF out there say else wise. But anyway I might bring Kanako into my next fic, I have a perfect role for her, oops did I say that?  

Oh I more thing:

"All hail the great turtle God!" Heh heh, I wanna see how many reviews I can get with that phrase in it, provided that there's still people reading.

And another thing, can anyone tell me how to format properly? As in all the original spacing and italics and such, I've been trying for the last few months but no success, any help would be much appreciated, Thanks. I plan to reformat near the end of the fic.

"All Hail The Great Turtle God!" 


	8. Can it really be him?

Disclaimer: I'll say this again, I don't owe Love Hina or Saki, she's from Steel Angel.

Note: wow! I can't believe I got so many reviews for my last chapter I didn't expect that, I'm still new to this so I get impressed easily. The only reason I can think of for such a count is because most of you must be turtle fans, tribute to those little guys whom we take granted for, 'All hail the great turtle God!' Ahh anyway enough with the ranting on with the story, anything in () means thoughts and means flash backs, and that's really about it. So without further ado, start-o. Oh! One more thing, the mid section is rather boring it just explains a little bit about amnesia, you can miss it if you want.

Can it really be him?

Aoi Island, Dr Ishida's clinic

After their second encounter with Reiko the group were taken to Dr Ishida's clinic where their injured friends were being treated. Naru was laid out on one of the numerous beds in the clinic and was watched over by the other residents.

"Argh…" 

"Dr! I think Naru-sempai's coming around!" Shinobu shouted out the door.

"She is?" Dr Ishida rushed into the room and immediately began to examine Naru, "How do you feel miss?" She asked Naru whilst she placed two fingers on her wrist.

"A bit sore…" she placed a hand up to her head and felt the bandage, a surge of pain went through her, " ouch!" she recoiled.

"It's best that you don't touch that wound, I had to put in some stitches but you'll be fine, it won't even leave a scar so don't worry." She stood up and headed towards a large cabinet by the wall and rummaged for a bottle. "These are pain killers take 1 ½ pill every 4 hours for about a week and you should be fine." 

"Thank you." Naru smiled at her and took the medicine.

"Now Narusegawa-san." Dr Ishida sat down on a chair and propped her head on her hand, "I'll like to ask you. What were you thinking? Of all the people in the world why did you pick a fight with Reiko-chan?"

"Well its just that she was putting herself in front of Keitaro and just wouldn't let me near him and…and…" she pointed around in random directions and the Dr just stared at her confused.

"…Right…" (" Who is she talking about? Keitaro? I don't think I've seen him before. Perhaps Reiko-chan hit her harder than I imagined and caused this young girl to be delusional, I've got to talk to Kane-san about Reiko-chan's behaviour. She can be so uncontrollable at times.") She put a hand up to Naru indicating for her to stop, "Alright, I think I know what's happening." She nods slightly.

"You do? So you'll help?" Naru seemed hopeful.

"Of course. It is my duty as a doctor to help my patients." She placed a hand to her chest.

"Wow, you're really stepping over the boundaries as a doctor to help me."

"No need to worry. At least you're better off than your other friend." She turned her chair aside and picked up a clipboard on the desk.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean your other friend, the one with the raven black hair, quite tall, fair skin."

"Oh! You mean Motoko-chan?" Naru turned to the girls and noticed that Motoko was missing among the group, "Where is Motoko-chan?" they avoided her gaze and didn't answer her.

"She's down the corridor turn right." The Dr told her plainly looking up at her before returning to her clipboard. Like a possessed woman Naru quickly got up and ran down the corridor followed by the others and when she got to the end, she flung the door open. There she was, Motoko lying on the bed unconscious. Her shirt removed and was covered in bandages, she looked as though as she was beaten up quite badly.

"What happened?" Naru walked up to Motoko's unconscious form and clutched her hand gently.

"Well Naru-sempai." Shinobu said in a quite voice, "It happened after you became unconscious." She walked closer to Naru and began to tell her what happened.

Outside Kane family restaurant

"Naru-sempai!" Motoko shouted worriedly as she cradled Naru's battered body, her fallen friend's blood on her hand.

"Not bad! Not bad at all, I didn't expect that she could take 3 of my punches so well, if at all! Of course they were only light punches." Reiko said as she slowly walked up to the group. Motoko shot her a disbelieving/angry look. "Don't believe me? Look under her shirt." Turning back to Naru, Motoko lifted up her shirt and found 3 bruises on her body, one on the shoulder, another just above her hip and the last one on her stomach.

(" How is this possible? It was only a split second and she was able to deliver fast surgical punches to Naru-sempai, the shoulder to disable her attack, the hip to limit her movement and the stomach to knock her out. I couldn't even pick up her movements.") Motoko stared at Reiko. ("Who is she?")

"Listen Samurai girl maybe you should take your friend to see a doctor and then get off this island." Reiko waved a hand to the side, turning around she began to walk away from the group.

"How dare you!" Reiko stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder.

"What is it now?" Reiko asked, her back still facing Motoko 

"How dare you do this to Naru-sempai and now you order us to leave?!" she pointed her sword to Reiko. 

"Listen." Reiko faced her, "I think it's for the best that you do."

"Insolent fool! Zantetsusen!" Motoko launched a Ki attack at Reiko. Standing still her arms folded Reiko didn't seem at all worried, this made Motoko suspicious. As the whirlwind of Ki sped its way towards Reiko causing her clothes to flutter, at the last few meters the Ki attacked disappeared, a look of confusion made its way on to Motoko's face. "What happened?"

"Mmm…" Reiko rubbed her cheek, "I tried to tell you, there's no point in using such Ki attacks against me, I'll just counter it with my own Ki and disperse yours easily." She winked at her.

"Hargh!!" Clutching her sword tighter Motoko launched another Ki attack at her putting more Ki energy into this one. Reiko shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

("Soquick to anger, a sign that she hasn't mastered the blade yet.") Raising one hand Reiko caught the Ki wave effortlessly and sent it back to the sender. Seeing this Motoko prepared herself and struck her own attack with the Hina blade and sent it flying into the air, she fell on one knee afterwards weakened from redirecting her own attack.

(" How is she able to so easily deflect my attacks? How?") Using her blade for support she got back up and readied herself.

"Up for more?" Reiko raised her eyebrows, Motoko gave her a death glare. "Ha ha, fine, fine, this time why don't you try hitting me with that sword of yours." She pointed to the Hina blade.

"So be it!" Giving out a war cry she charged at Reiko when close enough she brought the sword diagonally to Reiko's head, but suddenly the Hina blade began to grow dark and stopped to the side of Reiko. "The blade's resisting me!" 

"Of course! I am controlling it after all." Reiko said smugly.

"What!? Wah!!" The possessed blade flung itself backwards taking Motoko with it whom landed on her rear the blade still in her hands. "Ahh." She winced as she rubbed her rear.

"Want more?" 

"Curse you! What trickery is this?" Motoko growled at her.

Putting a hand to her forehead Reiko shook her head in disbelief, "You mean you don't know?" Motoko didn't reply she just stared at her, "God! What do they teach you in the Shinmei Ryu?"

"How did you…" Reiko stopped Motoko in mid sentence.

 "That's not really important." Reiko sighed and began to gather her thoughts, "How should I say this? Ah! I know. Listen that's the demon blade Hina right?" She pointed to the said sword, Motoko nodded curious as to how she knew that, "Well its possessed, correct?" Again Motoko nodded, "Alright then, since it's possessed it has a will of its own and will follow a master of its choosing, however when placed next to a stronger and more powerful presence its will will be dominated by that power and disobey its master. Got that?"

Digesting the information that Reiko just fed her Motoko came to a conclusion which she thought was the most reasonable, "You're a demon!?"

Reiko's eyebrows knitted, "Good guess but not quite, you see like you I too use a demonic weapon but its much more powerful then that little blade of yours, and over time my Ki signature has began to become identical to that of my weapon."

"Then you wield the power of the dark."

"And you don't?"

"The spirit within my blade has been sealed where it can do no harm to others." Motoko defiantly told Reiko.

"Yeah, I know and 'cause of that you'll never be able to draw on that blades full power, but that doesn't really matter even if you were able to draw on its full power you still wouldn't be able to beat me. You must be quite weak if you can't even control that mid-level demon and had to seal it only drawing a minute portion of its full power." Enough was enough having first taking an effortless defeat and now this verbal insult Motoko snapped.

"You…arrogant…insolent fool!!" she said through gritted teeth, " I shall vanquish you!" Motoko's eyes began to glow and give off a dark Ki aura just like her sister when she is angry and went in for the kill.

"Again?" Reiko said with a grin as she dodged a sword swipe from Motoko, another and another all of them she dodged effortlessly. After a few minutes of this Reiko got bored and decided to increase the pace a little, using both her hands she caught the blade in between her palms and threw Motoko back a few feet, dusting herself off she got back on her feet her exhaustion showing and her aura began to fade but she still insisted on continuing the fight ignoring the pleas of her friends to stop. "I admire your persistence." She smiled at her, "Although I'm guessing you won't stop until I showed you some pain? Hmm?" Sparks of electricity began to emit from Reiko's body, "Fine then, I'll show you what I can do." A streak of electricity coiled itself around Reiko's arm and around her and it slowly spread outwards from her, her Ki began to rise to dangerous levels. "Remember you asked for it."

("What is she!?" Such powerful dark Ki, more so than Nee-chan!") Sweat began to form on Motoko's worried face as she faced her strongest opponent as of yet, she stepped back to avoid the electricity coming from Reiko.    

"Ready?" Reiko asked her calmly the electricity slowly residing but still visible.

"Any time!"

"Alright then, go." Reiko snapped her fingers and disappeared in a flash of light.

"Where did she go?" Motoko looked around frantically. She found her answer too soon, Reiko reappeared to Motoko's side and delivered a powerful punch to her head, Motoko was sent flying due to the powerful punch and went slightly numb as the electricity made its way through her, before she made contact with any solid object however Reiko appeared in front of her line of flight and drove her knee into the side of Motoko's chest sending her flying upwards. Motoko now currently half conscious due to the pain reached a high altitude in which she was brought back down to earth abruptly as Reiko reappeared again and smashed her heel from a spin kick into her stomach. Combined with such force along with gravity Motoko smashed into the ground with a loud thud, battered, bruised and so on.

"Oh my God." Was all Kitsune could say.

"Haa." Reiko sighed as she walked up to Motoko's unconscious body prodding her with her foot, turning to the restaurant she spoke to Saki who had been watching all along, "Saki-chan, would you mind calling the doctor, I'm in a hurry." Saki nodded timidly, "Thanks." Then she proceeded to address the rest of the girls, " When your friends recover get off this island, you're not wanted here." Turning around she walked off.     

End Flash back

"And that's what happened." Shinobu said ending her story.

"Who does she think she is!?" Naru practically screamed.

"I am sorry for your friend, Reiko-chan has a tendency to go… hmmm… what's that word, oh yeah, berserk at times, but believe me when I say this she means well and had no intentions of doing permanent harm to your friend." Dr Ishida said as she entered the room.

"What!? Look at what she did to Motoko and me!? What do you mean 'no intentions of permanent harm'? She practically tried to kill us!!" Naru yelled at the Dr's face.

"Narusegawa-san, please calm down."

"Yes Naru-sempai, please calm down." Shinobu pleaded and offered her a seat.

"Hmph!" Naru sat down angrily.

"Sighs." The Dr walked up to Motoko and checked her pulse. "Your friend is strong, she'll be fine fairly soon." She wrote something down on her clipboard.

"Good. That's a relief." Naru placed a hand to her chest, "Dr what's wrong with her?"

"Hmm, let's see. She has 2 cracked ribs, minor internal bleeding, a slight concussion and slight paralysis due to the electricity but other then that she's fine, we should let her rest." Dr Ishida said as she placed a blanket over Motoko, who began to stir from her slumber.

"Argh!" Motoko moaned as her body began to register the pain coursing through her.

"Don't move." Dr Ishida told her.

"The pain…"

"Please would you hold her?" She said to Naru.  

"Sure." She did as she was told. Taking a hypodermic needle and a bottle from her lab coat, the Dr filled the needle with a transparent liquid from the bottle and injected it into Motoko's arm. After a minute or two Motoko began to relax went back to sleeping soundly. 

"There. The medicine should put her to rest for a while. Please let's not disturb her, lets go to my room." She ushered the girls out if the room.

"I don't get it." Naru said to herself as she sat down.

"What Narusegawa-san?" Dr Ishida asked as she took something out from the cabinet and looked at it.

"What I mean is Keitaro."

"Oh you mean Tadayoi." (" There she goes again, delusional. Where did I put those Antipsychotic medicines? ")

"Why did he not recognise us?"

"Yeah I know." Kitsune said rubbing her chin.

"Sempai…"

"Narusegawa-san why do you keep referring to Tadayoi as this Keitaro?" 

"Because they look so alike!"

"Really? Narusegawa-san can I ask you why are you and your friends here? "

"You see Dr it's like this…" Naru drawing in a deep breath told the Dr what happened. After finishing her story the Dr began to evaluate the situation. 

(" Ah… could it be that Tadayoi is this Keitaro person it can't be just a coincidence. Maybe she isn't delusional after all and has something to do with Tadayoi's past, I guess I don't need this.") She looked at bottle in her hand.

"I wish someone would explain to me!" The sound of a clatter directed the girls' attention to the Dr. who was standing there perfectly still.

"Did you just ask for an explanation?" Dr Ishida asked, her face mere inches from Naru's face.  

"Er yeah…" Naru said somewhat nervous.

"You mean Tadayoi correct?" 

"Yeah…"

"Then allow me to explain!" Dr Ishida moved back from Naru giving her breathing space. "Let's start from the beginning shall we?" She sat down and drank from her glass of water. "From your earlier response I take you know nothing of Tadayoi's condition." The girls seemed confused, as they did not know of this Tadayoi person, "I mean the guy you keep referring to as Keitaro." She clarified, "Well you see he has amnesia."

"What!!" The girls responded.

"What's amnesia does it taste good?" Su asked, the Dr stared at Su strangely.

"No, it's when you lose your memory."

"Never mind that, Dr Ishida what did you say about Keitaro…er…no I mean Ta… Tadayoi?"

"Please relax, let me start. You see all of this began about 9 months ago when we first found Tadayoi he somehow drifted ashore, that's how he got his name by the way, he was on the verge of death when we found him."

"What happened?" Naru asked concerned.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure of the cause but when we found Tadayoi he had sever physical injuries all over him, combined with the fact that he was adrift in the cold seawater we didn't expect much, who ever did that to him should be ashamed of themselves." Dr Ishida said harshly, Naru cringed at her words, as she knew she had done that to him, or at least she hoped not and that it was his accident prone nature was to blame.

(" What happened? He's always pulled through before… but why did this happen?")

"Thank God Reiko-chan found him in time and took him to me to be treated."

"You mean that girl who attacked me saved Tadayoi." Naru asked getting use to Keitaro's new name.

"Yes, still there was a low chance that he would come out of it OK, but through some miracle he managed to pull through, he recovered gradually when he was in his coma state." Taking a sip from her water she continued, " After he awoke that was when we discovered he had amnesia, now that we think about it it really would've been a miracle if he awoke from that and not have any permanent damage, so it really wasn't surprising that he had amnesia, actually that's quite good, I mean there are worst. All he suffered was amnesia to a partial degree."

"Doc what do you mean?" Kitsune asked.

"Well you see amnesia has different levels, there's partial and complete. Tadayoi is suffering from partial amnesia, in which he has forgotten only his memories but nothing else, such as his motor skills and knowledge seems intact, he can still ride a bike, swim, write, read etc. If he had complete amnesia then he would've been like a new born child, we would've had to teach him everything from the basics that requires conscious control, how to speak, walk perhaps, even how to use chopsticks and such, so in other words he got off pretty lucky."  

"What do you mean 'lucky'? He doesn't even remember his own name and…and he… doesn't remember me. All the time that we spent together… gone." Naru burst out saying, tears forming. The other tenants attempted to calm her down, the Dr gave her a glass of water.

"I know it must be difficult. It's not like I did nothing to speed up his memory recovery." She opened a draw at the side of her desk and produced a folder from it.

"Dr, what's that?" Naru asked calmer now.

"This is a record of Tadayoi. There are numerous reasons for his amnesia, but let me start from the beginning. Before he woke up I had taken some x-rays of Tadayoi and discovered that there were some swelling in his brain and from that I already anticipated some sort of damage, and when he did awake up it was confirmed. That was my original theory, that it was this swelling that caused his amnesia."

"Then when his swelling goes down he would remember right?" Naru asked hopefully.

"Well that was the idea but…"

"But what?"

"Narusegawa-san, think about it. It's been 9 months I'm sure any one would've recovered in that amount of time." Naru slumped a little. "But like I said that was one of the theories. The second theory and possibly the most plausible is that Tadayoi is suffering from a psychological type of amnesia."

"Huh?" Were the girls' responses.

"What I mean is that his brain is perfectly fine but there is something holding him back."

"What's holding him back?" Shinobu asked

"Well…I can't really explain because it's very complicated." Dr Ishida scratched her head, "But I'll try my best. What I think is happening to Tadayoi is that due to the shock to his brain he repressed his memories maybe it's a natural reaction, actually more like instinct, exactly why though, I don't know. So in a way his memories are still in his mind but for some unforeseen reason he can't seem to access them." The Dr paused and took a sip from her cup.

"Then how can he access his memories again?" Naru asked trying to grasp what is happening.

"Well I tried to approach this psychological block in many ways, I started after his brain recovered cause I didn't want to risk anything plus the fact that I thought he would've made progress, first I thought it was a involuntary memory block so I gave him some medicine that helped patients to clear theirmemory blocks, usuallythe medicine is known to take effect within a week and the patients would recover, however in Tadayoi's case this didn't happen. I was absolutely baffled.

"The next thing I tried was administering Sodium Amytal to him." All the girls looked at her weird, "You know, truth serum?" The girls shook their heads, "Hmm, actually it isn't really truth serum there's no such thing. Basically Sodium Amytal is a relaxant it acts by suppressing the human's inability." The girls stare at her weird again, 'Sighs'… "it slows down some of your senses, makes you more communicative and suggestive to other influences. 

"Why did you give him that?"

"The truth is, even though I didn't want to think of it, was that the only conclusion left possible is that this was a voluntary block, meaning he's holding back on purpose. But anyway whilst under the influence of Sodium Amytal I discovered that he genuinely had no recollection of his past through a series of questions I asked him names, places and dates. Nothing! I got nothing, at this point and still I have no idea what is wrong with him, he is a medical mystery." 

The girls looked at each and wondered what they should do. "If a doctor can't help him who can?" Kitsune asked.

"Well since my facilities were very limited I sent him off to a neighbouring Island, I have colleagues there that work in a hospital, I asked them if they could help. There they performed scans on him, but sadly they got the same results as me." She looked out the window.

"So there's nothing we can do." Naru said sadly.

"Not quite, if Tadayoi really is this Keitaro in which you speak of you may be able to help."

"Really? How?"   

"Your presence might be able to remove his psychological block. But first you need to prove that he is Keitaro, if not he might think you're just strange and avoid you."

"Yeah but how?" 

"Su knows!" Su declared proudly and pulled out her DNA radar from her pocket.

"Great we can use that."

"Good. Once you confirmed that he is who you think he is remind him subtly of who he is, too much information can damage him." Everyone nods, "Listen it's rather late now why don't you all stay for the night and get things sorted. The rooms are upstairs and I need to tend to your friend."

"Thank you Dr, we don't know how to thank you." Naru bowed to her as well as everyone else.

"Yeah after today, I need a good sleep." Kitsune said as she approached the door followed by the others.

"Then I bid you all goodnight." 

"Goodnight Dr." They said as they closed the door. Turning back to the folder Dr Ishida pulled out a piece of paper from it and began to read it silently.

'To Dr Ishida 

From the institute of health

Dr Ishida following your request we have scanned the patient as you requested and we are happy to say that the patient has no brain damage and that he is perfectly healthy. However whilst we scanned him we noticed certain abnormalities in his brain wave pattern, what we mean to say is that the patient displayed 2 distinct brainwave patterns, the cause of this is still yet unknown. We are sorry that we can't provide you with any more information, included in this letter are the results of the tests we preformed on the patient.'

Placing the letter back into the folder, she got up and walked to the window. (" 2 brainwave patterns? What does this mean? Tadayoi exactly what are you hiding from us but more importantly, from yourself?") Deciding it was no use to linger on that topic any longer she stepped away from the window and left the room going to check up on Motoko. 

Next day

At the door of the clinic everyone was ready to leave and confront their manager about his past.

"Dr Ishida we're like to thank you again." Naru bowed to her.

"You're welcome." She flicked a stray strand of hair out of her face, "You know where to go right?"

"Yeah we do."

"Alright then, good luck." She waved them goodbye.

"Motoko-chan are you sure you should be walking?" Naru asked her shaky friend.

"I'm fine, you need not worry about me. It was very nice of the Dr to give me an item of her clothing but why this shirt?" She looked at the back of her t-shirt.

"I don't know, I think its quite good." Kitsune said.

"Have you seen what it says?"

" Let's see, 'I'm a bomb technician, if you see me running try to keep up.' I like it." Kitsune half laughed.

"Stop that!" 

"You two be quite, hey we're here." Naru said as they stopped in front of Kane family restaurant. "Is anyone in there?" After a few moments the door opened to reveal Saki behind it.

"It's you!" Saki panicked and tried to close the door but Naru placed her foot in the door frame and stopped her.

"Please let me explain!" 

"We're not open yet!" 

"It's not that, we need to know where we can find Tadayoi."

"Erm… I don't know if I should tell you…"

"Please." Naru pleaded.

"Well OK." She opened the door. "You see that island small island over there." She pointed at the back window of the restaurant.

"Yeah."

"Since its still early they're there training."

"Training?"

"Yeah. You can get there by boat but I suggest that you don't go."

"Why?"

"Because it's dangerous when ever they start training on that island."

"How dangerous?" Motoko interrupted.

"Remember yesterday?" They nod, " Well, think of that as a little spark compared to what happens there." They froze slightly.

(" How can it be worst?") Motoko thought to herself, (" I must see it with my own eyes and once I know her secret I shall redeem my honour by defeating her in honourable combat.") She hurried off to the said location.

"Motoko-chan wait up!" Naru chased after her.

"You guys wait!" Saki shouted to them but they were already gone, "You forgot to pay your bill from yesterday. Reiko-chan's going to kill me."

Lone Island

After riding on the boat the group finally landed on the island, when they arrived they noticed that there was already another boat. Everything seemed normal at first glance.

"Hey where do you think they are?" Kitsune inquired.

"Probably deeper in the island." Motoko said.

"How do you know?" Motoko just pointed at the tracks on the ground.

"They were running, two of them and one of them just walked." Motoko inspected the tracks. 

"Then lets go." Naru lead the way through the forest.

After minutes of walking the girls still saw nothing out of the ordinary that is until they came across some fallen trees.

Walking up to one of the fallen trees Naru bent down and examined it. "Hey do you think a storm hit here or something?"

"I doubt it. Look around, the destruction is only in this area and the trees have all fallen in a straight line, this was by hand." 

"Motoko-chan how?" Motoko just pointed to the side of the tree where a fist print was present. 

"Sempai I'm scared." Shinobu clung herself on to Naru.

"Don't worry Shinobu-chan me and Motoko-chan can take care of what ever did this, right Motoko-chan?" She smiled nervously at the Samurai.

"Perhaps…what was that?" Motoko's line of sight was directed deeper into the forest.

"What was what?"

"There it is again, the sound of fighting!" Without hesitation she took off in that direction.

"Wait up!" Running a short distance the group stopped close by a flat area in the middle of the forest. The area around it was badly burnt and flattened, a lone old man sat at the far end of the flat land.

"What's all this and why is that old guy sitting there by himself?" Kitsune asked.

"Shh." Motoko silenced them and indicated them to get down behind the trees, "We don't want to get spotted." She whispered to them her gaze still firmly fixed on the old man.

"Why? He's just an old guy…" Just then a pair of shadows flashed across the sky and collided with each other causing several trees to fall. "Ekk!" Everyone ducked down.

"_Doku Ryu_! [Poison Dragon]" One of the shadows shouted and lunched what seemed like a palm strike at the other shadow, the force of the strike caused the air in front of it to pressurize. The other shadow dodged the strike and the air continued to fly across the plain slicing through tress and turning them to splinters.

"_Howo Tszme_! [Phoenix Claw]" The other shadow countered. The other shadow moving at blinding speed dodged the attack.     

The shadows moved to the centre of the flat land where they continued to collide with each other.

"What are those things?" Naru crept closer to Motoko.

"They're fighters moving at incredible speeds, let us observe." ("I know who one of them is, but who is the other presence standing up against her, he or she must also be an amazing fighter and who is that old man? I can't sense any Ki energy being emitted by him.")

Jumping apart in opposite directions the two shadows separated from each other and began to take shape, one of them was Reiko dressed in her battle gear her fists raised and the other shadow to everyone's surprise was Tadayoi who was also dressed in his battle gear his stance similar to Reiko's.

"Is that Keitaro?" Naru tried to get up but was stopped by Motoko.

"No Naru-sempai!" 

"Why?"

"It's best that we observe for now."  

"Enough you two, warm up is over." The old man said, "Draw your weapons."

"Hai sensei." They both answered. Tadayoi raising his hand into the air gathered his Ki into his hand and called forth something, intense fire began to burn around him and it flowed into his hand, grasping the fire it began to extend and materialize into a blade. The blade itself had a crimson hilt and was doubled sided, along the centre of the blade there was a layer of black metal on both sides and on the layers were red markings almost like spells. At the same time Reiko held out her hand and gathered her Ki, lightning rained from the sky and struck her, holding her hand out to the side lightning shot forth from her hand and became a blade. Her blade unlike Tadayoi's was only one sided, longer and had a blue hilt instead other than that it had the same layers of black metal on either side and the same red markings.   

"Those blades!! It can't be!!" Motoko shouted in horror.

"What is it Motoko-chan?" Naru asked as she noticed the look of horror on Motoko's face.

"Those blades, if they are what I think they are… no never mind! We must leave!" 

"But…" Naru sentence was cut short however. 

"Ready Tadayoi-kun?" Reiko said over the crackle of lightning.

"Let's go!" Tadayoi called out as he dashed through the intense burning flames.   

Fire and lightning erupted from the two fighters as their swords collided, their Ki energy spreading across the flat land burning or frying everything. 

"I think we should get out of here!" Naru shouted as she scurried back from the fire and lightning.

"I don't think it'll do us any good. Their energy is spreading everywhere we wouldn't have enough time to escape." Motoko told her. Just then a stray branch fell upon the group they all covered their heads and readied for the blow, but it never came. "Strange." Motoko looked up as did everyone else.

"You think the fire roasted it?" Kitsune asked sweat pouring from her face from the intense heat.

"Maybe." (" But I felt a strong Ki protect us, but who?")

"Hey look! The fire and lightning is pulling back!" Shinobu pointed out.

The two fighters' swords were still locked in heated combat their Ki energy now slightly lower. Reiko pushed Tadayoi away and took a slash at him to the side, Tadayoi blocked the attack and went in for a kick, using her arm Reiko blocked the blow and grabbed his leg, and with a little effort she tossed him across the air. While in mid air he spun himself and rebounded of a tree and went straight for Reiko sword at the ready. Reiko pared the attack but was pushed back a little due to the force, side stepping she created more between them and went in for a rising cut, Tadayoi jumped back and countered with a spinning slash which was blocked by Reiko. The two fighters continued to exchange sword attacks one after another at inhuman speeds, whilst the girls continue to stare on even though they couldn't actually see the attack, with the exception of Motoko who can just barely see the out lines of their attacks.

("I have serious doubts that that is Urashima, there is no possible way that he can increase his Ki energy to such levels, and it almost feels as he is a different person. Can it really be him? And that blade he's holding, can it be? That that is the legendary Demon Blade of Fire, _Hono Kokoro_ [Flame Heart]. I thought that it was sealed because of how destructive it was, if what I heard is correct residing in that blade is no ordinary demon but a Demon Warlord, one of the four most powerful demons in Hell. Then the other blade must be _Kami-nari Ha_ [Lightning Tooth]. That blade is just as dangerous as the other one, why are they free? They're meant to be sealed so their destructive powers may never be used by mortals, and how did they come to posses such power…unless…no! It can't be! ") Motoko thought to herself.

"Ha haa…" Tadayoi separated himself from Reiko and took in deep breaths, the blade in his hands still burning. ("If I'm going to win I'll need to use some of my special techniques. Right _Hono Kokoro_?") He turned to his blade, as if responding to his question the blade's markings began to glow a crimson red. "Right!"     

(" Hmm…judging from the way its glowing I'm guessing that he's about to use one of his special attacks. I know its stupid, but what the hell!") Leaning forward she dashed towards Tadayoi. Standing still Tadayoi waited until Reiko was close enough to initiate his attack, once she was close Tadayoi took a few slashes at the air, Reiko stopped in her tracks when lines suddenly surrounded around her, soon the space between the lines solidified into semi-transparent walls completely encasing Reiko in a doom like structure. (" Humph! This attack. I thought so."). The fire that was trapped along with Reiko inside the doom began to go out, the air in the doom was running out.

"What's happening?"

Motoko didn't reply as she was too busy observing the battle. (" That technique…could it be?")

(" Hmm… suffocate or burn, ah what the hell.") Pulling her arm back Reiko plunged the blade into one of the walls completely shattering it, the instance that she did however she was swallowed by fire and soon followed by a huge explosion.

"_Dansu No Hi_ [Dance of Fire]" Tadayoi said to himself silently.

"What was that?!" 

"…Dance of fire…" Motoko muttered.

"What?"

"Dance of fire, a high level technique used only by the very skilled. It's an attack in which the user gathers his or her Ki and creates walls encasing the opponent and some fire. The confinement is air tight and the fire burns up the air in it suffocating the opponent, however if the walls were to be broken mass amounts of air would be rushed in but the fire isn't completely out, so with the mass movement of air the fire would quickly burn it and cause an explosion reaching temperatures of up to 1000 degrees, suffocate or burn…" (" How? I thought that technique was lost…")

To Motoko's absolute surprise as the fire died down Reiko emerged from the destruction with only a few scratches and some burns, "Whoa not bad." Reiko wiped some dirt from her face.

"I'm not surprise that you survived." Tadayoi said.

"Yeah, you're improving. Let me show you my special technique." Taking the hilt in both hands Reiko thrust the blade into the ground. Knowing what was about to happen Tadayoi tried to get off the ground but was too late, he was caught in a binding web of lightning. "_Denki-no-sz_ [Electric web], not bad eh?" Reiko indicated to the electric web surrounding her.

"Yeah…argh!" Tadayoi screamed as the electricity coursed through him.

"Don't bother struggling, you know it only makes it worst."

"Hey, Motoko-chan do you know what that is?" Motoko nodded.

"That is electric web, another high level technique. Its principle is that using the ground as a medium the user transfers his or her Ki into the form of an electric web, the user must maintain contact with the ground in order to sustain it. This technique like a spiders web is meant to ensnare an opponent it the web and slowly drains their life away, the more you struggle the more it restrains you. This technique is difficult to use is because its difficult to maintain the user must make a balance between the amount of Ki used, too much would kill the opponent and too little the opponent will break free. Unbelievable, absolutely unbelievable."

"Argh!!" Tadayoi screamed in pain.

"Sempai!"

"I'll show you!" Ignoring the pain and using all his strength Tadayoi broke through the web. "I've done it!" 

"Hey not bad." Reiko took the blade out. "But try this…_Raigeki_! [Raining Lightning]" She summoned lightning to rain down.

"Hmph." Bringing his sword up Tadayoi summoned a wall of fire to block the attacked, "_Hinotama_! [Fire ball]" He fired a few fireballs at Reiko, Reiko brought her guard up and deflected most of them, however one of them flew straight for the girls.

"Watch out!!" Everyone took cover expecting the worst. But it never came.

"Huh? What happened, ahh forget that! Why don't we just get out of here while we can?" Kitsune pleaded.

"No. We're safer here. Someone's helping us." Motoko told her.

"Who?" 

"I don't know, but this person is very powerful."    

Fire and lightning flew across the sky as the two fighters continued their fight destroying everything. Finally they stopped and stared at each ready to end this. Suddenly shadowy figures began to appear and disappear behind the two fighters. Motoko seeing this shook her head and rubbed her eyes.

"Are you OK?" Naru asked shoving a piece of burnt timber aside.

"Yes, it's just that I thought I saw something." Of course Motoko was lying, what she didn't tell her was what she saw, it was something that she won't forget easily. What she saw was a faint image of a demon standing behind Tadayoi dressed in noticeable thick armour it's claw like hands on his shoulders, where as in Reiko's case instead of a demon it was more of an image of an angel in armour and robes. ("Were they the images of the demons that reside within those blades?") 

("I've gotta end this! I guess this is the perfect time for me try out my latest attack I hope I have enough left.") Tadayoi thought. Placing his sword horizontally in front of him he focused all of him remaining energy into the blade, the forest began to burn once again as he did so.

(" What is he trying to pull?") Just in case Reiko brought up her defences.

(" Now's the time! My ultimate attack!") "_Howo Naku_! [Phoenix Cry]" The fire gathered at the tip of his blade and erupted forth taking the shape of a giant Phoenix heading straight for Reiko. The intense heat of the fire Phoenix incinerated everything as it approached her bringing her sword up she struck the Phoenix. A blinding light shone across the entire island as she did so, the collision of such powers caused a massive explosion, the shockwave of it sent the girls flying. Finally as the dust settled one lone figure stood.

End of chapter 8           

AN: What a weird chapter, sorry if it was a bit confusing but I tried to explain a little what amnesia was I hope I didn't over do it. OK let me say a few things: 

-First off I hope you lot liked the demon blades introduced in this chapter, since the life span of this fic is coming to an end rather soon I plan to do a fic based on the blades, it will be fairly dark, violent, supernatural and generally weird. During my long absence I debated whether to make it an original or a LH fic finally I decided to make it a LH fic, though it'll seem a bit out of place but hey I found an interesting way to include the cast. Heh heh…

-Second if any of you have ever seen the manga 'Samurai Deeper Kyo', I don't own it by the way, then you'll probably recognise the moves Electric web and dance of fire that Reiko and Tadayoi used, I don't think I translated them properly though. Dance of fire was properly explained and I thought it would be cool to let Tadayoi use, Reiko's move however her explanation was made up and the other moves used I made it up.

-Thirdly if any of you feel that I have made any mistakes on the characters feel free to tell me, I based the LH characters on the manga but my Manga set is in Chinese, I've seen the English version and I noticed various differences so that's probably the reason.

-Sorry if the fight scene is a bit lacking, I have no excuses, please don't flame me!

Well that's it for now, till next I bid you all farewell!     


	9. Lunch and memories

Disclaimer: Cut and paste here.

Note: Sorry for that last chapter I admit it was weird so this one won't be as bad.

Lunch and memories 

Lone Island

As the dust settled Tadayoi is left standing alone the sword still clutched in his hands. There was no trace of Reiko.

"Reiko-chan!" He looked around for her. (" I couldn't have over done it… could I?" She should've been able to block that.") "Reiko-chan!" He shouted out again. He stepped forward but was stopped by a sword held against his throat. Slowly he turned to the wielder of the sword and just as he expected it was Reiko.   

"Not bad Tadayoi-kun, I didn't expect that you were able to use _Hono Kokoro_'s ultimate attack so soon." She wheezed, charred and smoking.

"Thank God you're OK." He said, moving her sword down by her side he placed an arm around her, "Thank God."

"Hey! I'm not that easy to kill! You won't be rid of me so easily!" She teased him, placing her head on his shoulder.

"Wonderful!" You two have improved so much!" The old man approached them and placed a hand on Tadayoi's shoulder, " Especially you! Ha ha!" 

"Thanks granddad." He wiped his brow the sword gone from his hands.

"Yeah! Keep going and one day you'll be a even greater fighter!" Reiko slapped him on the shoulder.

"Ha ha, you two have fought excellently but I wonder what our audience thinks?" Granddad turned to where the girls were.

"What?" Reiko and Tadayoi looked to where his sight was directed.

"Ah! We've been spotted!" Kitsune shouted.

"Be quite." Motoko said calmly.

"Show yourselves! Or prepared to be fried upon!" Reiko warned the girls, she and Tadayoi were gathering their _Ki_ ready to lunch them anytime.

"We give up! Don't attack!" Kitsune shot up, her hands in the air.

"Please! Cease!" Motoko said also getting up with her hands in the air. The others followed suit.

"Hey it's the Samurai girl and her friends." 

"I have a name!" Motoko retorted.  

"Yeah I know, Aoyama Motoko heir to the _Shinmei Ryu_ in Kyoto. We all know about you." Reiko stared at the shocked Motoko. "How I know doesn't really matter, what matters is what were you doing spying on us?"

"Well we were…" Naru was cut short.

"It's alright I'm sure they have good reasons." Granddad butted in.

"But Granddad!" 

"Hush Reiko." After quieting down his granddaughter he walked up to the girls, "Now young ladies I have heard from Saki-chan and Dr Ishida what happened yesterday, and I would like to say I'm sorry for my Granddaughter's action." He glares at Reiko who just pouted and 'Humphed', " But still why are you here, don't you know that it's dangerous." 

"We know but we needed to talk to him." Naru indicated to Tadayoi.

"Me?" Tadayoi pointed to himself.

"Yeah you. Erm do you remember me?"

 " Apart from yesterday, no." He shook his head, " I'm sorry like I said before, I don't think I've ever met any of you before." 

"Oh…well then maybe we should talk." 

"Well…" he looked at Reiko, " Is it OK?" 

"…Fine…" Reiko said spitefully.

"Thanks." 

"Yes! Indeed let us converse, but not here." Granddad interrupted "Why not talk at my restaurant, let me invite you to a feast as a way to say sorry for my granddaughter's actions." At the mention of food the girls' stomachs growl. "I take that as a yes. Reiko-chan, Tadayoi-kun."

"Hai!" They both replied.

"Go get our boat ready, I want to ask these young ladies something."

"OK…" they answered unsteadily but they didn't bother questioning him though, in a blink of an eye they both disappeared.

"Sighs, to be young. Now young ladies, are any of you hurt?" he asked the group.

"Surprisingly, no." Naru patted herself and checked for any visible signs of damage.

"Good. With that huge amount of Ki flying around, you all could've been hurt badly or even killed."

"Yeah…why are we still alive? Maybe Keitaro's immorality rubbed off on us." Kitsune half laughed avoiding death several times.

"No that wasn't it." Motoko informed her, " It was you wasn't it?" she questioned Granddad.

"Indeed it was." He simply answered.

"I thought so." (" What incredible power! He was able to shield us from such powerful attacks and not give off any distinguishing Ki energy, even at this close I can't sense anything, it's almost as if he's invisible. Who is he?")

"Now miss…" He tilted his head slightly.   

"Oh! I'm Narusegawa Naru." Naru placed a hand on her chest. "That's Konno Mitsune aka 'Kitsune'." 

"Hi." Kitsune greeted 

"Maehara Shinobu." She bowed timidly 

"Kaolla Su. "

"How ya doing? When are we gonna eat?" Su bounced around cheerfully.

"Heh heh, she's like that. And last but not least…"

"Aoyama Motoko." Granddad finished, " Yes I know all about you." 

"How did you…no… I don't think that's relevant, who are you?" Motoko stressed the last word.

"Ah yes. I am Kane Ichiro." He said calmly.

"I've heard of that name before…" Suddenly something in Motoko's head clicked. " Wait! I know! You can't be!" she stared at Granddad in disbelief, he just smirked. "The legendary leader of the Shadowless Clan! The fiend of the thousand blades!" 

"Ha ha! It seem my reputation exceeds me." 

"But your clan was dispersed decades ago."

"It did and still is. My granddaughter and I are all that's left of our clan."

"What happened?"

"I'll tell you another time." He waved her off. " Can I ask you a question." He directed the question to no one in particular. " Why are you all on this island?"

"We came looking for someone and we think we found him." Naru answered.

"And you think that it's Tadayoi?" She nods. "And your proof being?" 

"Su." Su saluted upon hearing er name, " The radar please."

"Okie Dokie." She dug into her pockets and pulled the radar out. " Just push this and…"

"What's wrong?"

"It's not working." Su shook the device.

"Why?"   

"O o now I know! It's because of that lightning lady's lightning!"    

"What does that have to do with this?"

"That lightning caused a massive electric field and scrambled the radar." She held it up to everyone.

"When can you get it fixed?" Naru was slightly anxious now.

"Mmm… don't know."

"Argh." Naru smacked her head.

"Hm hm. Well never mind we have plenty of time. Let us leave for now." He walked away from the girls.

"Oh yeah sure." 

(" I don't believe this the legendry fiend of the thousands blades, here. So those swords were the legendry Demon Blades. What have we gotten ourselves into? So many questions.") Motoko thought to herself as she followed Granddad.  

"I will answer you soon Aoyama-san." Granddad said to Motoko as if reading her mind. Motoko did not even bother to ask Granddad how he knew what she was thinking, she accepted that he was no ordinary person.

Coming up to the beach the group was greeted by Reiko a spanner in her hand.

"Reiko-chan, why the spanner?" Granddad asked her.

"O… there was some engine trouble, that's all." She stared at the sky and rocked on her heels.

"Hmm, where's Tadayoi-kun?"

"He's in there starting the engine." She pointed to their boat.

"Tadayoi-kun!" Granddad called out.

"Hai granddad." Tadayoi appeared from within the boat.

"Are we ready?" Tadayoi nodded, "Splendid. Now let us leave." He jumped on to their boat followed by Reiko. "Ladies we will see you all on shore." The ship roared to life, reversed, turned and headed for the main island.

"I guess we should leave too." Kitsune suggested.

"Mm." Everyone nodded and then climbed on the boat but as Kitsune tried to start the boat it failed. "What's wrong?" Kitsune turned the key again and again the ship didn't start. "Su, go check what's wrong."

"Yes sir!" she saluted and dashed off seconds later she came back. "Captain! The engine's been sabotaged!"

"What?" Everyone practically yelled and went to check the engine. What they found was some liquid seeping out of the engine as well as smoke.

"What is that stuff?" Naru stared at the liquid.

Su knelt down and ran her finger in the liquid and then placing it in her mouth, "Erk! Salty!" She spat it out.

"Sea water." Motoko examined, "And something missing." 

"But who could've…" Naru stopped however knowing full well who the culprit was. "REIKO!!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, the birds scattered from the trees, and off in the distance in the other boat Reiko placed a hand over her mouth and silently laughed.

"What's so funny?" Tadayoi asked her whilst steering.

"Nothing."

"Hmm. Hey by the way what was wrong with their boat's engine anyway."

"O it just needed some water and a little tune up that's all, they should be back on the island soon." Reiko grinned, Tadayoi just looked at her sceptically not realizing what she really did.

4 hours latter

By now it has just past midday and the girls having somehow got back to shore they, well Motoko and Naru demanded revenge and went immediately to where the culprit could be, i.e. the Kane family restaurant.

"Reiko-san!" Naru burst through the doors and spotted her target sitting by herself. "You!" she pointed an accusing finger at her.

"Yes." She replied coyly.

"You! You sabotaged our boat!" Naru waged her finger at her.

"And your proof?" 

"I… I don't have any, but I know it was you!" She shouted with more volume attracting the attention of the other customers.

"Maybe we should take this outside." Reiko suggested cracking her knuckles as she got up. Before any thing could get out of hand however Tadayoi came out of nowhere and stepped in.

"Girls! Please stop!" he pleaded with the two angry women about to tear each other apart, beams of electricity shooting out from their eyes and connecting in the middle. (" I wonder if what they say is true, that all women secretly hate each other.")

"Tadayoi-kun step down, I can handle this." She told him, snapping him back to reality her glare still locked on to Naru.

"Come on Reiko-chan stop this, we're in a restaurant." He whispered the last part. Looking around Reiko she saw that she and Naru had started a scene, everyone was whispering amongst themselves about the way they were behaving.

"Fine. We'll sort this out later." She turned and went to the kitchen.

"Phew. That was close, miss are you OK?"

"Yeah." Naru said somewhat disappointed, truth is she wanted to have a swing at Reiko for what she did to her last time. " Hey, er… Tadayoi is it?" he nods "Thanks, I think."

"That's OK, Reiko-chan can be rather obnoxious at times." He stared at the girls for a second, " Hey, I bet you lot haven't eaten yet." Everyone nods their heads rapidly where as one of them drools. "Good, how about I fix lunch?" 

"Yay!" they cheered. Following to a table by the large windows they sat themselves down and admired the view.  

"Wow! It's such a nice view." Shinobu pressed against the window.

"Indeed it is."

"Who cares? When we gonna eat?" Su interrupted.

"Ha ha such a cute little girl." Tadayoi rubbed Su's head. "Listen I'm a chief here so I'll cook, OK?"

"Thanks Tadayoi, hey do you…" Naru began.

"Tadayoi-kun!" Reiko stepped in, a scowl on her face.

"Yes Reiko-chan!" He answered somewhat nervous from the expression on her face.

"I'll cook for our 'guests', you handle the maintenance." She handed him various tools and such. "Start by fixing the sink, now get!" she pushed him to the direction of the kitchen. "Now Narusegawa-san is it? And company I'll cook to say I'm sorry. I'll introduce you all to the islands delicacies." She gave them a fake smile. Moments later she had a tray of drinks with her and handed everyone the rather small cups. "Here"

"What is this?" Kitsune raised the small glass cup to examine the red contents.

"Smells strange." Naru took a sniff at it.

"Don't worry, it's a type of wine it's used as a starter to wet ones appetite." She swirled the liquid. " How about this on the count of three we drink together?" Staring at each other they agreed, "Alright then, one." Everyone holds the glass up to their mouths, " Two," everyone closes their eyes, " Three." Everyone with the exception of Reiko chugs down their drink. Momentarily their faces flush a bit red then everyone stares at Reiko who has yet to drink her cup. "How does it taste?" 

Everyone stares at her for a minute before answering by swaying a bit.

"Well I guess it was a little strong." She swallows her drink and got up, " I mean it is Black Adder Blood wine." Everyone stares at her then at their cups.

"What's black Adder?" Su asked still swaying from the drink.

"It's a highly venoms snake." Reiko simply told her gathering the empty cups. Everyone but Reiko and Su feels like their going to vomit. " It's not lethal, the blood and venom are kept separate, and the wine warms you up and wets your appetite. I'll be back with starters." Reiko laughed inwardly.

"I don't think I can handle this." Kitsune clutched her stomach.

"Naru-sempai are we poisoned?" Shinobu tugged at Naru's shirt the former in tears.

"I don't think so I mean she drank it as well. Her she comes." They all went silent.

"Here you are." Reiko placed a tray of shish kebabs on the table.

" Oh lets eat." Su grabbed four of them and began eating them, finishing them in seconds the group waited for a response to see if it was safe. "It soooo good!" her eyes went all starry and proceeded grabbing more. 

"I guess it's safe." Naru took a bite and an expression of delight appeared on her face, " This is good." She mumbled between mouthfuls. Soon everyone else expect Reiko began eating.

"Here Tama. This is the turtle chow I told you about." Reiko handed a plate of pellets to Tama.

"Mew!" Tama took it and began eating.

"Hey Reiko-san, what is this?" Naru asked still enjoying the meal.

"It's Black Adder Shish Kebab." She said, everyone but Su stops.

"What did you say this was?" 

"Black Adder shish kebab." She said it louder this time, " I hope I took the venom glad out." She bent over and examined the food. " Hmm I'm not to sure."

Dropping their food everyone slowly gets up and starts running around in circles screaming that they've been poisoned, Su joins in just for fun unaware of why her friends are doing this. 

"Calm down." Reiko gestured for them to sit down. " Since you're all still alive I've obviously taken the venom glad out." Everyone stares at their hands and begins to calm down. " I'll go get the next course." Reiko disappeared into the kitchen.

"I think she's trying to kill us!" Kitsune stared at the kitchen.

"Really? That kebab tastes great just like the ones my family's royal chief use to make." Su beamed, everyone else just stares at her. "O o here she comes." 

"Sorry to keep you waiting. The next dish." She placed a plate of an opened up fish on the table. 

"What is that?" Naru pointed at it sceptically.

"Freshly made 'Fish of delight'." 

"Er…" They just stare at it, " What's that black stuff?" Naru pointed to the centre of the fish.

"Oh that!" Reiko picked up a pair of chopsticks and took apiece placing it in her mouth. " That's the best stuff." She swallowed and placed her chopsticks aside, "I'm done."

"Well…OK I guess." Picking up her own chopsticks Naru took a piece and ate it. "It does taste good!" Slowly everyone else began eating also.

"Tasty!" 

"Mmm" 

"Wonderful."

"Almost as good as Sake." 

A few minutes later the fish was practically half gone, just then Tadayoi walks by carrying an empty tray. "Hey you all seem to be enjoying your meal." He smiled then dropped the tray as he saw the fish. "That's… that's Blow fish." He stammered pointing at the fish. "And that's poison!" 

Naru was the first to react, taking the chopsticks from her mouth she stares at the half eaten fish, then at Reiko then at Tadayoi. "But she ate some." All attention was directed at Reiko who had an unusual smile on her face, turning her head aside she spat the black stuff out after doing so she faced the group, " I didn't swallow." Her smile still present. Everyone just went pale, Motoko was in shock, Shinobu passed out, Su still eating, Naru looked as though she was about to join Shinobu and Kitsune… 

"Oh my God I'm poisoned!!" Kitsune screamed running around in circles.

"Miss just calm down. Running around will only speed up the poison." Tadayoi told her, " I'll go get Dr Ishida!" He ran to a phone, tripped several times in the process. All this chaos however was broken by fits of laughter soon everyone including Tadayoi stared at the source. "What's so funny Reiko-chan?" He asked the phone upside down in his hands.

"Well it's…it's just that…that isn't poison." She managed to utter in between laughter.

"What?" Tadayoi went to examine the fish poking at it he tried a piece. " This is…" 

"Mashed grapes." Reiko finished for him, wiping her tears away.

"That wasn't funny!!" Naru fumed a vine on her forehead bulging, pulling her arm back she readied for a Naru-punch aimed at Reiko's head, but before it made contact with Reiko's head her punch hit something soft, more precisely her punch stopped in a palm, what surprised her even more was who the palm belonged.

"Stop this." Tadayoi told her firmly, his hand out stretched by Reiko's head, his fingers tightly wrapped around her fist, though he seemed strong the reality is his arm was trembling from the force. "Let's not resort to violence, OK? And you Reiko don't you think you're over doing it." He shot her a glare.

"What?" she said putting a false innocent face, "All I wanted to do was show them the delicacies of the Island, I can't help if they took it the wrong way." She lunged at Tadayoi and wrapped her arms around him tight, " You believe me don't you?" Her eyes went big and watery she stared at him and shot beams of stars at him, "Don't you?" Everyone sweat dropped at her display.  

"Er… of course I do." He smiled nervously and patted her on the head. "Just don't do it next time." She hugged him tighter. "Can't breath!" He struggled to say.

"Heh heh I knew you would believe me!" (" Heh heh! So easy!") She turned to the girls, "Hey, I'm sorry about that maybe I was over doing it so I apologise." She extended her hand out to Naru.

Naru looked at the hand for a moment, (" Maybe she isn't so bad.") hesitantly she took Reiko's hand and shook.

"Good. I promise you my last dish, there'll be no surprises. Tadayoi-kun why don't you join us?" 

"Sure, why not?" he watched her walk off and reappear again moments later with a big punch bowl of orange liquid, "Hey that's You-go juice."

"What?" The four remaining girls said.       

"It's one of the best dishes around, found only on this island." Tadayoi told them whilst he filled some cups. "Mmm tastes great." Tadayoi licked his lips as he finished his cup and went for another.

"Since he's drinking I guess it's safe." Kitsune shrugged and took a sip from her cup, "Wow it's even better than Sake!" She chugged her drink down and went for another. Naru turned to Motoko and they both nodded to each other, taking their cups along with Su they began to drink. And this drink out went on for about half an hour.

"Mmm… Reiko-chan this is great, but I think it's a bit strong." Tadayoi peered into the empty bowl.

"This is the best drink I ever had, why does only grow on this island?" Naru asked.

"Well it's because… hey wait, is this the first time you all had this drink." He asked the girls. Everyone but Su nods hearing this his eyes went wide and slapped the drink out of Naru's hands

"What did you do that for?" Naru rubbed her hand.

"You shouldn't drink so much You-go juice if it's your first try!" 

"Why's that?" Kitsune looked a bit clueless.

"You-go plant is used to clear the body system, it contains a natural laxative." The older girls just look at each other, " It means it gives you Diarrhoea." He told them bluntly.

"What about you and her?" Kitsune pointed out.

"I said it contained a natural laxative, it means the more you take the more your body becomes immune to it, like alcohol she and I are use to it." 

"But… argh…" Naru's stomach began to rumble as well as Motoko's and Kitsune's.

"The toilet's that way!" he pointed back.

"You can't use it." Reiko told them plainly taking a sip.

"Why not?" Naru managed to say holding her stomach.

"The toilets are flooded." She directed their attention to the toilets in which water was seeping out from underneath, " Some idiot burst the water pipes and now we can't fix it." Silently moving her feet she kicked a wrench under her chair away from everyone's vision, "What an idiot." She laughed manically inside though. 

"I can't hold it…" Kitsune said holding her stomach.

"The public toilets are this way." Tadayoi pointed out the door.

"Thanks." Kitsune followed the direction he was pointing quickly followed by the others.

"He he he he." Reiko laughed quietly to herself finishing her drink. 

3 hours later at Dr Ishida's clinic

"Everyone knows better than to drink so much if it's your first go, that's why they call it You-go plant. You know, you go." Dr Ishida said to the girls.

"Argh…" The three girls moaned still clutching their stomachs.

"Don't worry. The medicine should take it's effect rather soon." The Dr told them 

"Are you all alright?" Shinobu asked timidly, she was unconscious when the rest of the girls were drinking the juice.

"We'll live." Naru told her weakly.

"Argh… That woman tried to kill us with food!" Kitsune moaned "But I don't get it. Su you drank as much as we did, how come you're OK?"

" 'Cause Su's had it before back in my home country!" She told her happily.

"Su where did you use to live?" 

"That's a secret." Su grinned.

"God I need some Sake, it's been days." Kitsune sat up and looked around then she saw a flat sliver container the ones cowboys in films use to store hard alcohol. "Hey Doc you mind if I have some?" Kitsune lifted the bottle up.

"Have what?" The Dr turned to her. "No don't drink that!!"

"Don't be greedy Doc I'll only take a sip." She waved her off.

"That isn't alcohol!!" 

"What? But it smells so funky." She smiled

"The reason it smells 'funky' is because that's Nitro-glycerine, as in a explosive that could kill all of us!" Kitsune stares at the Dr and begins to shake, "No! Don't move! One slight jolt and it'll blow. OK relax, place it on the table slowly." She gestured with her hands, Kitsune did as she was told and inched away from the container slowly. "That was close." The Dr walked up to the container and picked it up, "I guess I shouldn't leave it in the open like that." She walked up to a steel bolted door and began to dig for something in her pocket.

"Doc, why do you have a explosive in your clinic?" 

"Oh that." Producing a ring of keys from her pocket she opened the steel door. The girls went wide-eyed and stared in shock at the contents of the room, from wall to wall the room was filled with explosives, crates upon crates of boxes each varying from size but they all had similar labels on them, 'Warning! 'Explosive!' 'Highly flammable!' and such. Moving to the back of the room Dr Ishida pulled out a small box and placed the container in it satisfied she left the room.

"D…Dr Ishida… why do you have a room filled with explosives?" Naru asked fearfully.

"Oh, about that you see during my university years I did some archaeology with three of my friends, they like myself attended Toudai."

"Dr Ishida you went to Toudai?" Naru interrupted her.

"Yes I did, now where was I? Oh yes, like I was saying I did some archaeology, sighs, those were the days, we would travel the world together, digging up ruins, so much fun. Well one of my friends always seems to crash the vehicle that he drives so I had plenty of practice in terms of first aid skills and then there are times when he would spar with my other friend and end up getting hurt." She pauses for a moment and reminiscences.

(" She sounds like Seta in a strange way.") Naru thought to herself, " But Dr that doesn't explain the explosives."

"Don't rush, I'm getting to it. Aside from a paramedic I'm also a explosives expert." She raised her eyebrows, "I just love to blow things up, well it was also because of that that we got into trouble with this secret organisation, boy were they tough. I remember that they chased us half way across the world, firing bullets at us, ahh those were the days." She smiled a bright smile.

(" What type of Doctor is she!?") Everyone thought.

"So Doc why so many explosives?" Kitsune snapped out of her trance.

"Oh that's nothing really just some liquid nitro-glycerine, few crates of TNT, C4, Claymores, Black Irish, Thermite, White phosphorus, Napalm, some other plastic explosives…. and I'm forgetting something." She scratched her head, the girls just stare at her.

(" Who is she?!") They all thought.

"Oh and an un-denoted atomic bomb, how can I forget that! Ha ha!" she laughed.

"A un-denoted atomic bomb!!" The girls shouted.

"Yeah. It's strange though when I went to buy it along with my explosives these people searched me, blind folded me and I took a boat ride to this island. When I arrived I was ask these weird questions and I had to pay in cash, Aoyama-san how did you think I got that T-shirt you're wearing, I bought 4 crates and all they gave me was that T-shirt. They were so secretive and edgy I wonder why though? They seemed like nice people." She pondered for a minute. The girls stare at her in disbelief. "Oh never mind, you all want to see it?" before the girls can answer however the Dr was already gone moments later she dragged out the said item, yellow and black strips all over it as well as warning signs. "My baby." She hugged the bomb.

"Doc…just how much explosives do you have?" Kitsune stared at the bomb.

"I'm not too sure… enough to destroy most of the island if not all…"

"Heh heh…" The girls laugh nervously.

"That's it I remember now! A package arrived earlier labelled for you Narusegawa-san." She went over to her desk and handed her a rather thick envelope.

"What's this?"

"I don't know it just arrived for you the moment you left."

"Really?" Naru examined the envelope.

"Do you want to see how this works?" The Dr asked them eager to show off her 'baby'.

"No!!" They all replied and ran out of them room and clinic in all. The Dr just stare at their dust trail, a confused look on her face.

"What's wrong with them?" Knelling next to the bomb, she placed her hand on it and lifted a hatch, white smoke came out followed by a bright light, "It's not like I'll actually keep an un-denoted atomic bomb in my clinic, that's just dangerous." Reaching in she took out a can of coke, "It's not like they never seen a fridge before, I modified it quite a while ago. Hmm, strange girls." Shrugging it off she opened the can and drank from it.  

Outside the clinic

"God!! What type of Doctor has a atomic bomb in their closet?" Kitsune asked thankful that she's left that building.

"I don't know." Naru shook her head.

"Never mind. Naru-sempai, what is that package that the Dr handed you?"

"Oh yeah." Taking the package the girls huddle around Naru who tore the package open, tipping it she pour the contents out, a letter and some photos. Opening the letter Naru read it out.

' To the tenants,

            Seta told me what happened about Keitaro so I included some photos to help you girls to recover his memory, see you soon.

            Haruka'

"Wow Haruka-san sure is prepared." Naru stared at the letter then at the photos, which were off Keitaro and the girls. ("Right with these photos I'll make you your old self again Keitaro, I promise!") Naru thought with a strong sense of resolve.

Kane Family restaurant 

"What's wrong Tadayoi-kun?" Reiko asked Tadayoi who was staring off at the distance.

"Nothing, nothing really, I thought I heard someone call out my name."

"I didn't hear anything."

"Never mind. Just my imagination." 

End of chapter 9 

AN: Truth is I don't really feel like talking, don't know why though. It's been such a boring summer and this incredible heat wave I never knew that the UK can get so hot. Well let's do the usual stuff, explanations:

- I know that the Dr seems a bit weird and all but hey she spent her university years with Seta for god sake there was bound to be something wrong or she can turn out like Haruka, in case any of you are wondering the third person is Sarah's mother, Anna I think it was but I'm not too sure. Personally though I kinda like the Dr a bit gullible, if you think she's weird what about that nuclear reactor in Su's room. 

- Do NOT try the recipes mentioned in this chapter though they do exist they are prepared by experts and should not under ANY circumstances be attempted.

- I know this has nothing to do with the story but has anyone else had their names changed as well due to that new priority thing? I mean I'm know Kage5, what is up with that?

- This is a complete side note, I noticed out there that some people constantly ask for a list of Motoko's techniques but no one seems to give a damn, so I had a crack at it. Below is a list of all the techniques that Motoko uses in the Manga volumes 1-14, there might be some differences compared to the English version, mines Chinese by the way and the translations might be a bit off, hey I did my best, I tried! So here it is:

Japanese name: Ougi Zangan Ken

Translation: Evil cutting sword

First appearance: Volume 5 chapter 40 page 139

Note: Her succession technique, used on Keitaro tied to a rock.

Japanese name: Zantetszen 

Translation: Cutting steel sword

First appearance: Volume 2 chapter 9 page 46 

Note: Used on Keitaro when he tried to sneak in, since he got a D and promised his mom that he'll go home

Japanese name: Hiken Hyatsu Kuryouran 

Translation: Secret technique hundred flower/petal 

First appearance: Volume 4 chapter 25 page 21

Note: Not to sure about translation, but she used this technique on Keitaro.

Japanese name: Hiken Fuujin Ranbu

Translation: Secret technique wind dance

First appearance: Volume 4 chapter 25 Page 47

Note: The full translation is something like 'messy dance of wind' but I'm not too sure, anyway her first technique without a sword, used during the carnival when she won all those prizes using chopsticks.

Japanese name: Hiken Samidaregiri 

Translation: Rain of May

First appearance: Volume 6 chapter 49 page 126

Note: She used this move to entertain Mutsumi and Su during the cook out with that large cauldron.

Japanese name: Ougi Zangan Ken Ni No Tachi 

Translation: Evil slicing Sword second form

First appearance: Volume 7 chapter 53 page 39

Note: She used this move against Keitaro when she believed that Mutsumi, Naru and Keitaro had some sort of strange bond

Japanese name: Hiken Zankuusen

Translation: Secret Technique Air Cutting Flash

First appearance: Volume 4 chapter 33 page 167

Note: This technique was used against Naru when she ran away because she saw Seta, also this technique made an appearance in volume 10 chapter 84 page 114 though it was a weaker version in order to launch Keitaro after Su's hot-air balloon.

Japanese name: Zaniwasen 

Translation: Rock splitting sword

First appearance: Volume 1 chapter 6 page 177

Note: Not too sure regarding Japanese translation, most frequently move used, so much that Keitaro was not only able to block but also learn, he defeated her with it in volume 13 on the blimp. 

Japanese name: Kami-nari ken

Translation: Lightning cry sword

First appearance: Volume 9 chapter 74 page 94

Note: She used this move as an opening against her sister however it failed.

Japanese name: Zankuu-Tanagokoro 

Translation: Air slicing palm

First appearance: Volume 11 chapter 104 page 105

Note: Very doubtful of the Japanese translation. First unarmed combat move used, she used this against Kanako when the latter was trying to help Naru escape, but Naru defeated Motoko by illegal use of animal weaponry, Tama.

Japanese name: Raihikariken

Translation: Lightning light sword

First appearance: Volume 13chapter 106 page 21

Note: Possibly her most devastating attack more so than her two succession techniques, she uses this move when she thought Keitaro had heard her about wanting to be kissed, she destroyed most if not all of the balcony with this huge ball of lightning.

Japanese name: Ougi Zangan Ken No Hitotsu Sen

Translation: Evil slicing sword first stance sword flash

First appearance: Volume 14 epilogue I page 163

Note: Not too sure about both the translations. This is another unarmed combat move, very similar to her succession techniques except without a sword, she used this move against Shinobu in order to retrieve her story, however Shinobu dodged the attack and it hit Ema instead. 

Well that's all of it if I made any errors please tell me, well see ya. R+R


	10. The Elimination Game

Disclaimer: Do I really need to say this?

Note: Well last chapter was certainly fun, lot of people said the same thing that Reiko is evil, what's wrong with that? So the girl's a little evil, who cares it's when they show their dark side that makes a person interesting and fun, ha ha! Ah never mind, another thing is that there's this reviewer that asked me what pairing this fic would take and I assume [never assume by the way, a very dangerous thing in deed] most of you reading this fic are expecting a Reiko/Keitaro fic, but the truth is…I don't know. I know it's not much of an answer, it's like this, I've planned out all the chapters up until the last one these chapters are not affected by pairing, where as the last chapter does, who exactly? I'm not too sure perhaps I'll be more influential towards votes, I don't know. Well enough babbling! On with the show, oh by the way Reiko might seem a little bit more evil in this chapter but hey more fun but don't worry she'll calm down in the next chapter. Now anything in () means thoughts. Start-o!

The elimination game   

Mid February Lone Island

"I can't believe we have to do this." Tadayoi said sceptically his demon blade held firmly in his hands, his back against Reiko.

"Yeah, Granddad was so impressed with what you did a few days ago he wanted to see exactly how much you've improved, and me as well." Reiko told him her blade also at the ready lightning crackling around it.

"Really? I can't even see Granddad…" he looked around the surrounding, "I can't believe we're really facing him." 

"I know. He's just as good as the legends and all I haven't been able to a single shot at him… there!" Reiko turned to her side and fired a lightning bolt at the bushes destroying some trees and causing a shadow to fly out. "Tadayoi!"

"Right!" he stepped in front of his companion and swung his blade causing a wall of fire to appear spreading out as it moves towards the shadow. With a blurred movement the shadow cut through the fire wall and sends sickles of black Ki at the two young adults.

"Watch out!" the two scattered and dodged the blasts, "Close. You OK Tadayoi-kun?" 

"Yeah…" he got up slowly and dusted himself off.

"Well, well you two going to give up?" Granddad said, as he appeared next to Tadayoi a long black sword in his hand, like the other two sword it also had red markings on it.

"Whoa!" Tadayoi jumped back next to Reiko.

"We're not giving up that easily." She stood her ground.

"Er… yeah." Tadayoi also answered lacking conviction, "But er… Reiko it's been 4 hours and we haven't landed a single hit." He whispered to Reiko.

"I know, I know! He either blocks it, dodge it, or slices through it." Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment thinking of a way to land a hit on Granddad, then her face lit up. "Right Tadayoi-kun, it's time for a Twin Fusion attack."

"You serious!?" He practically shouted "Don't you think you're over doing it?" he questioned her.

"It's the only option." She replied firmly.

"What are two doing?" Granddad asked ready for anything. 

"Alright." He nods uneasily.

"OK, follow my lead." She held the blade out above her head parallel to the ground, she turned to him and gave him a look.

"Oh… that one." Following her lead he took his stance, crossing his arms the sword held past his head, his back against Reiko "I'm ready, I think."

"Let's do this! _Tszki Hikari Ryu_! [Moon Light Dragon]" she called out as a white Dragon of light appeared out of her blade.

"_Howo Dansu_! [Phoenix Dance]" he twirled his fire engulfed blade and made a Phoenix of fire to appear. Moving in sync with each other the two combined their attacks.

" Twin Fusion Attack! _Tszki Hikari Dansu_!!" they both called out, the Dragon and Phoenix intertwine with each other and exploded in to a blinding sphere of light, causing a mushroom cloud to form. 

"You think we got him?" Tadayoi asked moments later through the thick dust, "I still think we over did it."

"I think we did get him and besides he's Granddad he'll be OK, since our normal attacks had no effect on him we had to use a Twin Fusion attack. I've gotta say though it worked out much better than I expected." The dust and smoke completely gone now, the two is left standing with their backs to each other on a small stone pillar pertruding out of a large crater the size of a football field and at least 20 meters deep.

"Yeah, but this Twin Fusion attack is 6 times more powerful than one of our ultimate attacks." His expression full of concern. "Just where is he?"

"I'm here!" Granddad announced bursting out of a pile of broken tree bits. "You two got me fair and square." He smiled and gestured for them to come closer.

"Told ya we'd win." Reiko leapt out of the crater and landed next to Granddad.

"Mmm." Tadayoi confirmed as he landed, "Though I had my doubts." He looked around, "Guess we'll be training on another island again."

Reiko just nods, "If we keep this up we'll run out of Islands."

"Or we can fight under water." Granddad told them, "Not only will the water slow down movements it'll also force you two to adjust to the pressure and control your breathing, the ultimate training." He slowly nods.

"Er, Granddad don't you think that's over doing it?" Reiko sweatdrops followed by Tadayoi.

"Mmm, perhaps you're right." He turns to the rising sun, "Well I guess there's no point for us to train for today and for a long while at least until I can find somewhere else, so you two can relax until further notice." Reiko cheers as she heard him, "But…" before he can finish Reiko had already taken off dragging Tadayoi along, "A warrior must never be too lax, why do I bother?" his head hung a little.

"This is great isn't it Tadayoi-kun?" She wadded through the water bare feet.

"It's OK." He answered from the edge of the waters watching her, "But I think he had something to say to us though."

"Never mind that, it's probably another lecture." 

"Hmm maybe…" he turns to the main island.

"Something wrong?" she placed an arm around him as she sat down.

"Well…yes it's about those girls." Reiko cringed at the mention of them.

"What about them?" She asked through gritted teeth trying not to show her anger.

"It's just that they seem familiar some how, like I have met them before. Though they are strange." 

"What do you mean?"

"It's like this." He pointed to one of his fingers, "One of them keeps asking me how did I become so strong and insists on challenging me to… a rematch from two/three years ago and saying something about 'this time there will be a victor' and then points her sword at me.

(" Must be that Samurai Girl! I'll kill her!") A dark shadow creeps across Reiko's face but Tadayoi never noticed it, he continued and pointed to another finger.

"And then there's this girl who seems to be hammered every time I see her, walking straight seems to be a problem for her." He pauses for a moment and scratches his head, "Then she keeps asking me if I've gotten lucky and made a fortune because she insists that I owe her money for her services." He seemed confused and so was Reiko.

(" Hmm, must be that girl with the fox's eyes, what was her name? Kitsune was it?") Reiko rubbed her chin trying to remember her name, (Ah! Now I remember her real name's Mitsune Konno I remember reading her ID in her purse that I stole from her, try to con me will she! Ha! Who's laughing now?") She grins a wide grin.

"Next." He points to his middle finger, "There's this girl that blushes a lot when ever I talk to her and occasionally faints when I ask her some question or she just apologises and runs off, I hope I didn't offend her."

(" Sounds like that Shinobu girl that Tama told me about, you know she isn't so bad, actually she's rather adorable with those big innocent eyes and all, I can associate with her about being torn away from her parents and all. I think I can get along with her the most.") 

"Then, there's this hyperactive girl who keeps asking me if I want to be her guinea pig for experiments and that she'll make better Mecha-Tamas for us to play with, what is a Mecha-Tama anyway? And she can eat so many things, it's amazing that she can handle it."

(" Must be Su he's on about or 'The great jaws of Death' that Tama keep referring to her as, I can't say much about her myself, she seems a bit weird.")

"And finally, there's the brunette. She keeps following me and shows me these pictures asking me if I remember, Toudai, Hinata Sou and a promise…" He stares in to the distance, "A promise…" he mouths.

(" Humph! You mean '**HER**',") She fumed (" I've seen those photos they're probably done by computer. And who does she think she is? Suddenly appearing out of nowhere and saying this and that, she has no proof and for all I know she can be leading Tadayoi astray. At least her identity's real, coming in 37th from the bottom of the Toudai exams what a laugh. Hmm…she seems to be their leader though, so if I get rid of her they'll all leave. Right! I'll get rid of her yet, I'll…wait.") Her face brightens as an idea struck her. "Hey Tadayoi-kun." 

"Yes?"

"You know, I don't think you've been able to have a proper conversation with that Narusegawa woman have you?"

"Well no, not really when ever we try to the other girls keep interrupting with banners and phrases and such."

"Well, why don't you ask her out and talk to her one to one."

"You mean like a date?"

(" $%*@~ What do you mean DATE!! When two strangers go out together it is not called a DATE! It's more like an outing of acquaintances!") Her mind fried at the thought of Tadayoi and Naru together, "I prefer to call it an outing of acquaintances." She gave him a crooked smile.

"Oh, but I guess you have a point maybe I should ask her out and hear her story."

(" That's right Tadayoi-kun, you do that while I implement my plan, then you'll see what type of person she is, and you'll reject her like a plague. Ha ha ha ha ha!!") Reiko laughed manically inside her head.

"Reiko-chan." He shook her snapping her back to reality. "You OK?"

"Oh! Yeah, I fine, I'm fine just thinking." She answered back in her normal self once again.

"What were you thinking?"

"Nothing much." (" Expect the flaming downfall of Narusegawa Naru!") 

"Actually Reiko-chan, there's something I want you to do."

"And what would that be?" She asked sweetly. 

"I want you to be nice to those girls."

"What! Why?" She stood up straight.

"Well." He stood up to her not liking the height advantage that she possessed, "I don't think it's right the way you treat them so harshly."

"But I just wanted to protect you." She stared at the sandy beach.

"I know." He placed his hands on her shoulders causing her to look up, "And I'm grateful but I know and so do you that they are good people, though they seem a bit weird." 

"…Yeah…"

"Promise me that you'll be good." He pulled her in to a hug. "Please?"

"Mmm…OK." She answered snuggling against his chest smiling a little. (" It doesn't matter anyway my plan's still perfect and if it all goes right they'll leave pretty soon.") Her line of thought was broken as the warmth she felt a minute ago left her, she pouted a bit obviously disappointed.

"Heh heh sorry." He apologised noting her disappointment. "I was just thinking how to ask Narusegawa out." 

"Don't worry about that, I'll do it for you."

"Really? Thanks."

"No problem, I'll tell her to go to our house at noon which is about 5 hours from now." She noted the time on her watch, which she also acquired from Kitsune "So you just go home clean up and get ready." 

"Alright. I'll go get the boat started then." In an instant he disappeared.

"Ok." She waved him goodbye for now, "It'll give me time to get my plan sorted."  

Aoi hotel. 4 hours and 35 minutes till date

For the last few days the girls had been staying in a hotel, which was conveniently arranged by Haruka via mail and some 'favours' much to everyone's surprise. They are now currently sitting in Naru and Kitsune's bedroom having a meeting.

"So Motoko-chan what you mean to tell us is that whatever clan that Reiko-san and her granddad came from is one of the deadliest clans there ever were?" Naru asked placing a finger on her chin.

"Correct. The Shadowless Clan, a clan as old as the history of Japan itself not only do they have their own fighting styles they also adopted the techniques of some of the most powerful ninja families such as the _Fodo_, _Gyokku_ and even the _Kotto_." Motoko answered calmly.

"I don't get it, I mean Motoko-chan you're quite powerful and you also have that Hina blade Keitaro gave you but still she beat you so easily, how?" Kitsune interjected in between sips of Sake.

"You see…no I think it's easier if I start from the beginning." Motoko stopped and cleared her throat, "I shall tell you what I know from the texts and my elders. The Shadowless Clan is one of the deadliest clans ever known and through out history. Their existence has been shrouded in mystery and doubt, they train warriors/ninjas at a very young age much like myself but their training is much stricter than mine." 

"So you mean the reason that they're so deadly is because train harder." Naru stated.

"That's only half true but the real source of their power is their weapons that they themselves forge, in the Dark Forge deep within their clan." She stopped noticing the confused looks on her friends' faces, " Hmm, you see the weapons that they forge there aren't ordinary weapons, the weapons that they forge are very similar to the Hina Blade but more powerful. When training begins the trainees are given a weak demon weapon to manipulate and get accustomed to, if they are not strong enough to control the weapon they will get possessed by it." 

"What happens to those people?" Naru asked somewhat fearful.

"Nothing really, the other members will just simply banish the demon from the trainee and reseal the demon for the next person, the trainee will then be forbidden to train. However if the trainee passes and controls the weapon they will advance to the next level, mastering the weapon and later given a more powerful weapon then the final level, complete synchronisation with their weapon."

"Oh…hey how do they get the demons in those blades?" 

" Like I said their weapons are similar to the Hina Blade, " She holds the blade out, "When a demon's body is destroyed their soul leaves the body and this is when they are vulnerable, with a few spells and procedures a person can trap the demon's soul into an item or weapon, their clan goes out hunting these demons and captures them in talismans then they will transfer these souls into weapons and such. Now before I was interrupted I was talking about synchronisation, this is when the person's Ki energy becomes almost identical to that of the weapon."

"What for?"

"So that the full power of the weapon can be drawn during battle." She eyes her blade (" I wonder if I can do that?") Motoko returned to reality as Naru asked another question.

"That explains a few things and all but when they were fighting it seemed so surreal, like a movie or something."

"Their fighting techniques… Which I'm not too familiar with, but when in battle I've heard that they are capable of merging with their shadows with or without a demon weapon and move freely in the shadows completely undetected, the ultimate stealth warrior and because of this they are often called 'Shadow Walkers'. It was do to their reputation that certain families sought for them during the feudal times and asked for assistance. My family had always been negative towards them, we believe in destroying demons but they use demons…"

"Wow… what a history." 

"Indeed. But those blades that they were using weren't ordinary demon weapons. Within the confines of those blades weren't ordinary demon souls, but the souls of demon warlords." Her face became dark as she spoke

"What are they?"

"Centuries ago when war tore through Japan humans waged war against the demon invaders who crossed the boundary in to the human realm, it was a vicious war and just as the humans was about to win 'they' appeared. 'They' were the demon warlords, there were four of them lightning, fire, wind and water and they were virtually all powerful each one capable of destroying an entire army, all hope of defeating them seemed lost. Until that is the Shadowless Clan forged four blades from a strange material and enchanted it with magic and a mixture of demon and human blood. Then four of the greatest warriors at that time and surprisingly they were all from the same family… but their family name escapes me all I know is that they are from the same region as Urashima's family, anyways they challenged the four warlords and according to the scriptures it was an epic battle and soon afterwards we, the humans won but the four warriors who fought them died and buried as heroes. But I thought this was all just old folks tales not real but here they are, the four legendary blades." She shook her head in disbelief.

"If it really is superstition just like you said how did they get the blades?"

"Since the blades were forged by them they were given the blades to safe guard. If what I was told is true they were sealed in shrines and deemed far to powerful for human use but I doubt it, I mean we saw them use them a few days ago and they wielded them so easily as well. How is it that those blades did not possess them? I just don't know anymore. That also brings me to another point that I don't think that person that we saw was Urashima, I mean he is a weakling and could not possibly control such power." 

"Motoko-chan have faith I know it's him." Naru stared at her Motoko who just merely nodded and gave her 'if you say so smile' " Hey, if they're as powerful as you say they are how come they're broken up and all?"

"Ha ha." Her laugh caught them by surprise, "Apologies, you see absolute power corrupts absolutely and that was true in their case. Reiko-san's Grandfather was the last sensei of their clan the reason that they disbanded was because of his four sons. His sons grew up too proud of their heritage and wanted the power of the blades, disgusted by this he left the clan and since there was now no leader his sons fought over for leadership and due to that they destroyed each other. What was left of their clan was destroyed during that fight and sadly that's all I know." Motoko finished.

"God, to think something like this exists in this world." Kitsune mused. A sudden knock on the door interrupted them Naru went over to see who it was.

"Yes." Naru opened the door.

"Hello miss, there's some one down stairs wanting to see you." The hotel manager told her.

"I wonder who it is? OK I'll be down in a minute." She told the manager, thanking her she informed the girls turned around and left. "I wonder who it is?" She wondered as she reached the bottom of the stairs and then saw her. "Reiko-san!" she was not happy to see her.

"Morning." She replied.

"Morning. What do you want?"

"Ha ha, so polite." Reiko said in a sarcastic tone, "I came here to tell you Tadayoi-kun wanted to ask you out."

"You mean like a date?" she blushed slightly.

("£$%&^* Why does everyone call it a DATE?! Like I said before when it's two strangers it's more like an outing!") Reiko mentally screamed, "I prefer to call it an outing of acquaintances." She trembled slightly as she said it. Naru turned around and debated with herself.

"Well it's just all so sudden… I mean a date?" she said, in the background Reiko punches a wall causing it to crumble. "Does that mean he likes me even that he's forgotten, I guess I have that charm on him, hehe..." she giggles slightly feeling the heat of her cheeks Reiko completely loses it and does a Godzilla completely tearing up everything, stomping the ground, she would've breath atomic breath if she could, everyone on the streets ran for cover, a mother hugging a crying child flees the scene, Naru who was still pondering is oblivious to all this. "Does that mean he remembers?" Reiko tears up a near by bench and was about to hit Naru with it but threw it away just as Naru turns around composing herself pretending nothing happened. "Alright I'll go." 

"Really? Then meet at our house at 12 noon don't be late." She told her and left. 

A few minutes later in her room Naru told everyone what had just happened. "God! Naru this is your chance!" Kitsune patted her friend.

"Indeed Naru-sempai, this is a prosperous opportunity do not let it go."

"Yeah but…" 

"No buts!" Kitsune pushed Naru into the bathroom and locked her in. "Take a shower and look nice!"

"OK." She answered behind the door seconds later the sound of a running faucet was heard.

"Good." Kitsune purred and then turned to the girls "Right girls I think we should give their date a little push, no?"

"What do you mean?" Shinobu asked.

"What I mean is we should go out there and look for certain 'romantic' spots and then 'subtly' without them knowing lead them to those places." She raised her eyebrows.

"Are you sure Kitsune?" Motoko seems unconvinced.

"What is there to think about? We're helping our friends!" With that she pushed the girls out the door. "Naru! We're going out for a moment!" She said and then closed the door. Outside on the balcony Reiko had been sitting there all this time listening to the girls' conversation.

"So…" she takes a bite from her chocolate bar, "They think they'll help hey? Their presence will get in the way of my plan, so… I'll have to get rid of them then. The elimination game begins, oh I'm going to enjoy this." She placed a hand over her mouth and smiled evilly. "So it begins."

3 hours and 55 minutes till date: Target 1: Kaolla Su

With special permission from the manager Su left her Mecha-Tamas in the courtyard outside. She was now repairing her Mecha combat suits singing something about love tonight. Her idea of a romantic setting was to have her Mecha suit kidnap Naru and make Tadayoi rescue her which is why she's working right now instead of going out, unbeknownst to her she was being spied on. Up on a near by tree Reiko lay hidden in the thick foliage clad in a black jacket and a equally matching hat, also completing her attire she had a short and wore black stockings beneath them. She altered between looking through her binoculars and scribbling something down in a black book and by her was Tama wearing a tiny black hat whom she braided with food. 

"So Tama how can I get rid of her?" Reiko asked her reptilian friend.

"Mew." 

"What do you mean it's gonna be hard?"

"Mew." Tama mewed shamefully.

"It's OK." Reiko patted her shell, "It's OK if you're scared. I'll just do it myself but how?" both her and Tama placed a hand/flipper to their chins, "How?" 

"Oh oh Su know what's wrong!" Su cheerfully said "All it needs is a little persuasion from Mr Wrench!" She lifts her hand above her head and smacks the revealed components of the Mecha-Tama as soon as the wrench made contact the suit began to frizzle and smoke, then it exploded and sent her flying soaring to the horizon leaving behind a smoke trail. Through out this entire event Reiko and Tama just stare on.

"I guess… we didn't had to do anything." She sweatdrops a little, "Well that takes cares of her." Tama nods in confirmation and Reiko takes out her black book opens it and crosses Su's name out.

3 hours and 32 minutes till date: Target 2: Konno Mitsune aka Kitsune

"Sighs… not a place to drink in sight." Kitsune moaned walking through the town. "Hmm… even if I did find a place how am I gonna pay?" she pats her pockets "I wonder what happened to my purse anyway? It had a bundle in it, I remember that I coned Reiko for all she had and then I put it in my purse and then my back pocket." She looked around for a minute, "Then if I remember she bumped into me and I fell then she gave me a hand and helped me up, by the way what happened to my watch?" she looked at her wrist, shrugging it off she continued to look for a bar and assumed that she must've left her watch in the hotel and forgot where it was.

"Alright, unit 01 I have made visual contact with target 2. Roger!" Reiko said in to her walkie-talkie whilst hiding underneath an army camouflage blanket. 

"Mew." Came the reply.

"OK. The target is heading in target direction we continue as plan. Roger!"

"Mew!"

"Sigh…I need a drink. Bad!" she dragged herself along a shop.

"Hey! Miss!" a man called out to Kitsune from the shop.

"Who? Me?" She pointed to herself.

"Yes, you miss. You seemed to be rather depressed how about a drink on the house?"

"Wha? You serious?" Kitsune looked up and realised that she was standing in front of a bar.

"Yes." The man nodded.

"Whoa! Thanks!" She dashed in and seated herself in front of the counter. "Come on bring on the booze!"

"Calm down miss." The man went to the other side of the counter and handed her a bottle of alcohol, "Here you go."  Kitsune took the bottle gleamfully and swallowed the whole bottle in a single gulp the man just stares at er in amazement. "Ha…" she wipes her mouth.

"Wow, you must do this often." 

"Yeah, you can say that. Boy this was great what was…it?" she stopped in mid sentence as her head crashed down on to the counter soon loud noises can be heard emitting from her.

"She went out rather easily." The man poked at Kitsune, "Are you sure it's OK?" he asked a figure in the shadow.

"Don't worry." The figure replied and stepped forward the light shone on the person's face revealing it to be Reiko. "I'll take the blame and it's only a sleeping tablet or two no harm done." She looked up from Kitsune to the man, "You mind taking her back to the hotel?"

"Yeah sure." The man replied casually.

"Thanks." She turned around and left the shop, taking the black book out she crosses Kitsune's name out from one of the pages.

3 hours and 00 minutes till date: Target 3: Aoyama Motoko

Motoko having no idea of what a romantic spot wandered around the outskirts of town looking for a secluded spot to spend her time more productively, namely training. However during her search her mind was elsewhere and it was because of this that she didn't notice the two pairs of eyes observing her.

(" The Shadowless Clan, the demon blades of legend all of this seems so unreal. All of this doesn't make sense, I mean just under a week ago I would've dismissed anything regarding the Shadowless Clan as myth but now I don't know anymore. I wonder if what I was told in the _Shinmeryu_ were just lies to cover up the existence of those blades…I wonder. Wait.") She looked around her surroundings, (" Where am I? Sighs, I must've been so deep in thought that I didn't see where I was going.") She looked around again hoping to find some sort of sign to lead her back to town.

"Hmm…if she goes back to town my plan's ruined." Reiko whispered to Tama. "Alright, Tama would you mind if you went out there and give her a little 'push' in the right direction, sort of speak." 

"Mew!" she saluted and flew out of their hiding place towards Motoko.

A cold shiver went down Motoko's spine as she sensed Tama's approach. "It can't be what I think it is." She said to herself but a gently pat on her shoulder confirmed her fear she turned to her shoulder and saw Tama resting on it. 

"Mew." Tama greeted.

"Ah…ah…TURTLE!!!" she flung her hands high knocking Tama off and ran away.

"Good." Reiko said as she walked out of the shade, "Exactly where I wanted her to go."

After running a few miles at least the adrenaline disappeared from her blood fatigue finally caught up to Motoko surveying the area to see if it was safe she noticed that she was standing in front of a estate of some sort. "Perhaps I can ask for directions here?" She walked past the sign and noticed that apart from a lone building there was nothing else but sand, "Strange. Perhaps this is a private estate " She walked up to the building and knocked but no reply.

"Hello there." A voice from behind startled her "Oh sorry! I didn't mean to frighten you." Motoko turned to face a woman in a lab coat.

"Dr Ishida?" Motoko surprised "What are you doing here?"

"Oh nothing much it's just that a friend of mine called me out here to witness the miracle of life that's all."  

"You mean someone's about to give birth?" she asked excitedly.

"You can say that. Hey come on lets go, I can use some help." She led her down the beach

"Dr Ishida why are we walking down the beach when the building is back there?"

"Because we're going to them, we must not disturb them." Motoko seemed confused for a minute but followed on anyway, after a while the two came up to a woman crouching over the sand, with various lab items behind her. "Hello, Suzuki-san." The Dr greeted the woman.

"Ah, morning Ishida-san." The woman hugged the doctor. "And who is this here?" she indicated to Motoko.

"Oh this is Aoyama-san." She introduced and Motoko bowed, "She's here to help."

"That's good we can always use an extra pair of hands and you're just in time! They're about to hatch!" 

"Hatch?" Motoko asked.

"Yes hatch. How else did you expect turtles were born?" Dr Ishida patted her on the back, she just froze. 

"Look! It's happening!" Suzuki pointed to the moving sand, seconds later the sounds of soft mews can be heard as hundreds of baby turtles began to emerge. "Aren't they adorable?" Adorable was not the word currently going through Motoko's mind but rather 'run away' but unfortunately the sight of the turtle hatchlings completely sent Motoko's body into shock her body was not responding to her brain. Then it got worst as one of the turtles turned its sight towards Motoko.

"Mew?" The baby turtle mewed its eyes still on Motoko as it crawled towards her. 

"Mew?" the other turtle hatchlings mewed and turned their sights on Motoko

"Mew!" the baby turtle mewed happily and it clamped itself on to Motoko's ankle.

"Mew!" the other turtles began to crawl towards Motoko.

"Hey Suzuki-san what's going on?" Dr Ishida asked her.

"I don't believe it! Those turtles must think Aoyama-san is their mother!" 

"Really?" they turn their sight to the statue like Motoko. Her body finally responding to her body she turned and began to dash but her legs wouldn't move and instead she tripped over, looking down at her legs she saw the reason, the turtles had latched onto her legs and made her immobile. Completely frozen in fear she didn't know what to do, her training did not exactly cover 'how to defeat swarms of killer turtles' so she was defenceless, seconds later she was covered head to toe in turtles.

Outskirts of town

"Hey Tama, you think Samurai girl found that Turtle research and breeding centre?" Reiko asked Tama who just shrugged. "Hmm…I wonder where she is?" as if on cue a loud blood curdling scream pierced the air.

"TURTLES!!" 

"Heh heh…" Reiko laughed nervously over the screams. "That answers my question." She takes her notebook out and crosses out Motoko's name. "I wonder if I went to far this time?"

2 Hours and 05 minutes till date: Target 4: Maehara Shinobu

"Hmm…oh…a romantic spot?" Shinobu asked herself as she peered in to a store window whilst wandering around, "No." she shook her head and continued searching. (" Oh…I don't know what a romantic spot is? How am I suppose to find one if I don't know what one is?") She was on the verge of tears and because of this she bumped into someone. "I'm sorry!" she backed off and quickly bowed.

"Oh that's OK Shinobu-chan." Came a familiar voice.

She looked up to see Reiko smiling at her, "Reiko-san!" she cried out in fear and tried to flee but was stopped by a firm grip on her arm, "Please Reiko-san don't kill me!" she was crying now. 

Reiko recoiled slightly as if she had been struck (" God do I give her that impression? A killer? Tadayoi-kun's right I do over do it, I'll apologise to everyone later. God I know he'll rub it in.") She pouted at the last part. Returning to Shinobu she calmed the frantic girl down, "Hey, hey calm down I won't hurt you." But she did not calm down, she wondered why and then she looked at her hand "Oh I'm sorry!" she released her grip, "I don't know my own strength." She watched the young girl rub her arm. "Sorry, I really am let me make it up to you." She said genuinely "Come on we'll go and get ice cream, OK?" 

"Erm, OK." Shinobu said quietly. Reiko taking her hand gently led her down to the beach. Once there Reiko went to one of the stalls and ordered for the both of them, seconds later they sat down by the beach and enjoyed their ice cream. Now and then Shinobu gave Reiko quick glances.

"Something wrong?" Reiko asked and Shinobu virtually jumped out of her skin.

"Nothing! Nothing!" The older girl bore in to the younger girl with her stare, "Well it's about Tadayoi-sempai… I…I like to thank you for saving his life." She fidgeted.

"That's OK, I'm sure anyone would've done the same." She smiled but quickly it turned to anger, "What I'll like to know is who did that to him!" Shinobu shuddered a bit as Reiko got up and smashed the floor beneath her with a stomp, "God!" she calmed down as she saw the frightened Shinobu "I'm sorry it just makes me so mad to think that someone would do that to someone as sweet as him!" she looked to her, "But I'm sure you feel the same." Shinobu nods.

"I wish that I was strong so I could've helped." Reiko sat down and placed an arm around her.

"So you know who did that to him?"

"Erm…" she looked away from Reiko.

"That's OK, I won't force you." There was an uncomfortable silence between them, "Hey why don't I take you to the arcades?"

"Erm OK." 

"Alright then it'll give me time to see if anyone's beaten my score yet." She took Shinobu by the hand and dragged her along. Since it was February there wasn't really many people at the arcades even though there was sunshine it was still fairly cold, walking up to the change machine Reiko exchanged some tokens for the arcade. "OK Shinobu-chan what game would you like to play?" Shinobu looked around for a moment and then something caught her eye.

"That one." She pointed to a claw machine.

"This one hey?" Reiko examined the machine "Which one do you want?" Shinobu pointed to a plush Tama. "Hmm the turtle." Inserting the tokens she began to operate the machine Shinobu watching quietly. (" I wonder how am I gonna get rid of her, I mean I don't and can't hurt her she's so sweet. But I need to get rid of her for at least a few hours…but how?") She muttered quietly as the doll fell out of the claw. (" God, they're all rigged.") "Hey Shinobu-chan why don't you take over." She moved aside for her.

"I don't really know how to."

"Don't worry it's actually quite easy, just depends on hand-eye coordination." She placed the remainder of the tokens in her hand. "Have fun, I'm just going for a walk so don't you go anywhere." She patted her on the head and left.

Shinobu left alone by herself turned to the machine, "OK it's easy." She told herself and began to move the claw with the controls, "Hey! It is easy!" 

Outside Reiko consulates with Tama as to how to gently put Shinobu away for a while. "Hmm, I can always put her to sleep for a while…but…"

A man wearing sunglasses suddenly banged into Reiko "Sorry young lady, are you alright?" The man asked.

"I'm OK." She saw the man's face and a faint recognition flashed before her (" I've seen him before but where?") Then it came to her. "Oh my God! Your, your…" She stammered.

"That's right, Mitsubishi Leonardo but call me Mr L." The man puffed his chest proudly.

"That famous eastern movie directly." Reiko said ecstatically, "I love your films Mr L! Especially your recent film ' A bonding love' it was so sad at the end when Richard jumped to save Lucia and they both didn't make it." Her eyes were all dreamy "Hey! Can I get your autograph?" she handed him a white note pad and pen.

"Sure." He took it signed it and handed it back to Reiko, he winced as Reiko squealed like a star-struck high school girl. "You know it's funny that you mentioned that film." Reiko quietened down and stared at him, "You see I'm on this island to do a sequel."  

"Really!" Reiko could not contain her excitement.

"But we can't." The director went silent and so did Reiko.

"Why?"

"It's like this, one of our support actortress got upset and complained that she didn't get enough screen time and demanded a better part, I refused because I thought she perfect for her intended roll so she stormed out. The truth is her role is actually quite important and without that character we can't continue. If only we can find a replacement." 

"Who exactly are you looking for?"

"A girl about this high." He indicates to his shoulder, "Quite young about 13-15, preferably someone that has an air of innocence and of course beautiful eyes so that the public will love her." He nodded a few times. "But where am I gonna find someone like that in 4 hours if I don't we're packing and even if we do they'll have to rehearse for about 3 to 6 hours." 

(" What a shame I really wanted to see that film but they're short one person…hey wait a minute.") Reiko's mind began to put the pieces together. "Does this person have to have experience?" 

"No not really, we can guide them along and do retakes why? Do you have someone in mind?" 

"Actually I do. Wait here for a minute." She turned and dashed back to the arcades.

Back at the arcades Shinobu was doing rather well at the claw as shown by the number of plush Tama dolls laying around her ankles and the machine was all empty but one toy left, "Almost there." She licked her lips but just as she was about to punch in the final command Reiko came out of nowhere and dragged her by the arm her complaints fell on deaf ears as Reiko continued to drag Shinobu to the director.

"Will she do?" Reiko asked as she placed a stunned Shinobu in front of the director, the director's face immediately changed to joy.

"She's, she's perfect!" the director exclaimed, examining her from left to right "Little girl I'll make you a Star! Make up!" he shouted and two women appeared and carried Shinobu off to the distance.

"Help!" Shinobu cried.

"Bye Shinobu-chan! I'll wait for your big screen appearance." Reiko waved her goodbye. "She'll be OK, right?"

"Of course. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a film to direct." He turned and ran after the two women.

"Sighs… they grow up so fast." She wiped a tear from her eye, "Now that she's gone, it's time for the real fun." She adjusted her cloths a bit, "Alright Tama there's only one stop left." 

"Mew."

1 hour and 12 minutes till date: Target: All eliminated.    

At the top of a long set of stone stairs Reiko stood admiring the large majestic _Shinto _shrine before her eyes. "Wow it's as big as I remember, I haven't been here since the New Year." She scratched the back of her head.

"Hello Reiko." A girl came up from her dressed in a traditional shrine maiden outfit.

"Oh hey Keiko-kun," she greeted her, "Hey listen I came here to ask for your help." She had a worried look on her face as she said this.

"What's the matter, you know I'll help in any way possible." Keiko told reassured her.

"Thank you I knew you'd help." She smiled a bit.

"You know I will always help. Now what's the problem?"

"It's Tadayoi-kun." Reiko turned away from Keiko and stared at the ground.

"Why? What's wrong?" Keiko's voice was full of concern.

"It's…it's like this an evil spirit in human form came out of nowhere and now she's got Tadayoi-kun in a trance." Reiko faked a few tears.

"This is serious! We must act at once!" Keiko pulled up her sleeves and took out a few talismans heading straight for the stairs her face filled with determination.

"No wait!" she stopped Keiko's march, "Don't you think I've tried? She's got Tadayoi-kun so entranced that she's using him as a shield, also she's brought allies with her and if I do anything then Tadayoi-kun will, will…" She stopped and covered her face with her hands.

"Curse that spirit! Then what do you think we should do?"

"Well…I've been thinking I wanted to try this but I don't have the necessary talismans." She said quietly dropping subtle hints.

"I see. Which talismans do you need?" 

"I was wondering if you can…" she approached Keiko and whispered something in her ear.

"That talisman! That's too dangerous! I can't give that out!" Keiko shouted.

"Please Keiko-chan! I must have that charm!" Reiko begged.

"Mmm…it's not that I don't trust you or anything but even holding it can be dangerous, how do you plan to put it around the spirit's neck?" 

"I know, but you know me I'm immune to it I can handle it."

After a few moments of thought Keiko agreed and went into the shrine. As she came out of the shrine she accidentally caught the frame of the door with her foot hurting it in the process she hoped a few times rubbing her injured foot, walking towards Reiko she tripped and banged her head on the floor slowly she got up a hand on a cut on her fore head.

"Keiko-chan are you OK?"

 "Yeah, nothing really. Here you are and remember be very careful!" she handed Reiko a small red pouch.

"Thank you." She gave her a quick hug and left. During her descend upon the stairs Reiko smiled to herself at how flawlessly her plan went. (" With this little trinket.") she stroke the fabric of the pouch (" Narusegawa will be a absolute wreck when this thing is done with her.") "Hah ha, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" she laughed evilly. 

Kane Family house, front porch

"Great evil." Granddad said sipping his tea.

"Myah." Kame nodded.

"One that we cannot stop."

"Myah."

"The Wrath of my granddaughter."

"Myah." Kame yelped before retracting into his shell.

End of chapter 10

AN: well people sorry for the delay but since it's summer and it's so damn boring I decided to play on a RPG, I'm sure most of you know how time consuming they are, sighs… also I'm in the last week of my holidays and I can't believe I spent it working and sleeping! Ah well, easy come, easy go. Well here are some things I'd like to clear up:

- During Motoko's explanation she mentioned 3 ninja families the _Fodo_, _Gyokku_ and the _Kotto_ if my sources are correct they are ninja families, which existed long ago and quite possibly still do, I don't know. The _Fodo_ were known for their work with many kinds of small/concealed blades. The _Gyokku_, were experts at using their thumbs and fingers on the enemies' nervous systems. Finally the _Kotto_, the excel at breaking bones but if I'm right the deadliest ninja clan was the _Kuji-kiri_ literally means 'nine hands cutting', though I'm not too sure.

-Again sorry for Reiko's behaviour, but the truth is I like her like this way and as my pre-reader said 'her jealous side makes her more human, it gives her more of a character but seriously she'll return to normal soon. 

-Also, I know the spacing is a bit off in my fic it's because I need a format that shows italics and punctuations. If there is a better format please tell me.   

- As usual if you spot any mistakes, tell me. R+R

Well see ya.


	11. Cursed Date

Disclaimer: Hell-o! I don't own Love Hina.

Note: Ah… it'll be a while before I update actually I'm surprised I updated at all, you see I will but it'll be on a very slow pace because I have to redo my chemistry papers in December [I know, I know it was stupid of me to take it in the first place] so I have to revise/study starting now and then there are other tests as well… Goddamn. Well anyway anything in () means thoughts so without further ado let's begin start-o!

Dream Date 

30 minutes till date, Aoi hotel.

"Sighs…" Naru sighed looking at her unconscious friend laying on the bed "Kitsune… it isn't even noon and you had to be carried back drunk, how embarrassing." She slapped a hand to her forehead. 

"Zzzzz…." A loud snore from Kitsune was her reply, Naru just shrugged.

"I wonder what happened to everyone else?" She stroked her chin, "I haven't heard from them in hours." Just then the phone rings. "Hello?" she answered.

"Naru-sempai?" the phone emitted a small voice.

"Shinobu-chan, is that you?" 

"Yes Naru-sempai, I just rang up to tell you that I'll be back late tonight."

"Huh? Why?"

"Well I kind of found a part time job and I have to work right now. I'm having so much fun I wish you could see me." Shinobu sounded rather cheerful.

"Really? What's your job?"

"Well…" a loud bang from the phone muffled her response.

"What? I couldn't hear you!"

"I'm sorry Naru-sempai but I have to go right now, I'm needed. Bye!" 

"No wait!" The phone went dead. "Hello? It's no use." She put the phone down and then looks at the clock "I'm late!" she grabbed her purse and dashed out of the room.  

Out skirts of town

"Hmm…I wonder what I should do?" Naru pondered as she walked towards the Kane family house, "I know! I should try and replicate our first date that way he'll remember, right I'll do just that." Smiling to herself she carried on her merry way.

"What's taking her so long?" Reiko peered out of the window anxiously searching through the scenery.

"Who?" Tadayoi asked from behind.

"Oh, I mean that Narusegawa woman." She answered without looking back. "There she is." She pointed out to Naru who was being confronted by a rather miffed Kame.

Outside Naru was trying to negotiate with an angry turtle that she meant no harm. "OK Kame, that's your name right?" all she got from the turtle was a puff of smoke from the turtle's nostrils. "Whoa! Whoa!" she placed her hands out defensively and stepped back slightly, "Hey now I'm not here to fight, I'm just here to see Tadayoi, OK?" Kame opened his mouth and readied himself.

"Kame stop!" Someone from the front door shouted.

"Myah?" Kame turned his head to the owner of the voice, it being Tadayoi.

"Kame don't be so mean." He patted the turtle's shell.

"Myah!" Kame shook his hand off the shell as if saying 'stop patronizing me, I know what I'm doing!' 

"Now Kame, I'm sure she means no harm." He knelt down to Kame's level reasoning with him. A few moments of hesitation Kame reluctantly agreed, shot Naru a death glare and finally retracted back into his shell. "Heh sorry about Kame, he doesn't really like strangers he tried to roast me several times when I first arrived, I thought he was going to kill me but eventually we got on fine." He scratched the back of his head "He's just slightly over protective but he's actually really nice and very handy during summer BBQs." He stopped as he noticed Naru's attire, which was somewhat similar to what she wore on their first date the only difference being the colours. "Y-you look nice." He stammered

"Really? Thanks!" she gave him a twirl, smiling inside as she noted his slight blush.

"Ahem." A annoyed Reiko broke the two apart, "Tadayoi-kun why don't you go finish off getting ready, I want to have a little girl to girl chat if you know what I mean, or do you want to stay?" the two girls stared at him.

"Oh right." He went back into the house.

"Now Narusegawa-_san_" she stressed the last word not in respect but rather disrespect, "I was reviewing your 'story' a while ago and that's when I noticed that I was in front of the _Shinto_ shrine so I thought I'd make a little stop and pray for a full recovery or something like that." She shrugged a bit. "Anyway, as I was there I managed to get myself a little charm."

"So…"

"Well you see this charm." She took it out. "Is a good luck charm used to bring people together, and since I know Tadayoi-kun and I are rather close I thought you might want it." Reiko raised an eyebrow.

(" Who the hell does she think she is?!") " No it's OK, I'm sure I don't need it?" 

"Really, shame it's also a memory charm." Naru's ears perked up, "You see it's said that the reason it brings people together is because the wearer can project their fondest memories to the receiver. But… if you don't want it… I can understand." She turned.

"Wait. Erm…it's not that I believe in all this stuff but I'll take it anyway." Naru said pretending that she doesn't really believe it.

"Really?" Reiko faked ignorance "OK then, turn around I'll help you to put it on." 

"Alright." Naru turned around and Reiko approached her and held the piece of string attached to the charm in her hands.

(" It'll be so easy if I strangle her right now.") She looped the charm around Naru's neck and began tying the knot, (" No! I must resist!") Her hands began to shake.

"Is something wrong?" Naru asked her back still towards Reiko.

"No! Peachy!" (" Must resist…must resist, must resist temptation! Oh dear God it's so hard! But I must resist! Think of Tadayoi!") With some effort she finishes tying the knot and wipes her sweat soaked forehead. "There." 

"Hmm… I don't feel anything." She pokes at the charm.

"It doesn't work instantly, it takes time." Reiko said a bit annoyed at her lack of 'knowledge'. "Another thing that's a mystical charm in other words don't let him see it or it won't work." She tucked the charm into Naru's collar. 

"Sorry that I kept you waiting." Tadayoi apologised. 

"That's OK Tadayoi-kun now the two of you get going and enjoy yourselves." She pushed the two along, "Get!" 

"OK don't be so pushy." Tadayoi complained, as the two were being ushered by Reiko Naru missed her footing and slipped on the grass and managed to slam her head against Kame's steel like shell, not only did she get a headache and possibly a mild concussion she received a rather angry response from the owner of the shell who mistook her accident as a declaration of war and began bombarding her with various 'turtle techniques'. Reiko acting as distraction managed to buy enough time for Tadayoi to carry away a rather charred Naru.  

"Perfect…" Reiko purred as she saw the two disappearing into town. Dawning her black outfit she began to follow the two.

"Are you sure you're OK?" Tadayoi asked Naru.

"Er… I think so." She rubbed the bandage on her head (" Thank God my stitches healed or it would've been very ugly.")  Through dazed eyes she looked around her and noted the fountain that was behind her and the structures around. (" This place reminds me of where Keitaro and I first met on our date.") She stopped for a moment. "That's right I am on a date!" She stood up abruptly.

"You should sit down." Tadayoi told her rinsing a wet towel dry.

"No it's OK. See." She walked a few steps wavering in the process.

"Whoa! Careful!" He caught her as she fell. "Maybe I should take you back to your hotel."

"No wait! It's just that… I'm hungry that's all."

"Really?" he didn't seem convinced.

"Yeah really. Hey let's eat over there!" she pointed at a random direction.

"You mean the beef bowl house?" He looked at where she was pointing, Naru promptly fell.

(" I don't believe this… how come every time we end up in a beef bowl place?") Naru thought staring at her bowl. Her attention soon turned to her companion who was happily eating his bowl (" At least his tastes hasn't changed it'll make things easier.") 

"Hey I thought you were hungry?" Tadayoi looked at her.

"What? Oh yeah!" she snapped out of her trance picked up her chopsticks and quickly ate her bowl.

"Wow, slow down."

"Waiter give me another!" Naru called out, and the instant that she did a ball popped open above her head and out came ribbons, glitter and a large banner.

"Congratulations miss!" the waiter took her hand and shook it several times, "You just ate the 500th beef bowl of the house."

"Really what do I win?"

"A chance to break the house record of most dishes eaten! And during that challenge you can eat anything on the house!" 

"Really! Alright then I want this and this and then…" She pointed to various items on the menu and the waiter quickly jotted them down. 

25 minutes later

"That's your how many bowl?" Tadayoi looked on in amazement.

"Yeah, I think that'll do actually I think I quit." Naru placed her bowl down and was about to leave but the waiter from before stopped her.

"Here's your bill Miss." He shoved her apiece of paper Naru looked at the paper for a second and then screamed.

"Hey wait a minute! You said it was on the house!"

"Yes but only if you beat the house record if you don't you pay for what you ate." The waiter told her plainly.

"You can't do that! I'm leaving!" 

"Hey! Stop! I'll call the police!" she stopped in her tracks turned around and was going to give the waiter one of her punches but Tadayoi stopped her. "Listen Miss only a few thousand yen and you'd broken the record, why don't you keep going?"

"Heh fine." She sat back down.

"Don't worry I'll help out." Tadayoi told her.

"Sorry Sir but this is a solo challenge."

"What?" the two teens asked.

"Sorry, but she's doing very well."

"Fine bring it on!" 

45 minutes later

"Come on Narusegawa one more mouth full!" Tadayoi cheered Naru on as she unsteadily held a spoon of food in front of her mouth, closing her eyes and a bit of hesitation she placed the food in her mouth chewed slowly and made an audible gulp.

"Congratulations Miss! You just broke the house record! How do you feel?"

"…Ill…" 

"Ha ha! What a character! We hope to see you again soon miss!" the waiter waved them goodbye as the two slowly walked away.

"That was hell…" Naru moaned leaning over a bin.

"You did very good I never thought a girl could eat so much and not gain weight." He half laughed, he would've received a Naru-punch if the deliverer weren't so… indisposed.

(" I'll let that one slip.") "Hey, you know you don't have to call me Narusegawa you can call me Naru."

"But it doesn't feel right, it isn't like I've known you for long." He rubbed the back of his head.

(" Great even with amnesia he stills call me Narusegawa, hey wait he still has no memory of me. Better step up a notch, what did we do next? That's right we went to see a movie.") "Erm Tadayoi is there a cinema near by?"

"Yeah, it down there." He pointed "But why?"

"Let's go see a film."

"Are you sure you're OK?"

"I'm fine!" she waved her hands about "I'll recover in the cinema, so let's go." She took him by the arm and dragged him along. Outside the cinema the two decided what to watch.

"Hmm…it seems like all the good films are already sold out." Tadayoi looked at the banners.

"No wait, there's still one left." Without even looking at the poster for another second she pulled him to the ticket booth. "Two for that film please." She pointed at the poster.

"You sure?" the ticket cashier asked a slight hint of red across her cheeks.

"Yeah why?" Naru questioned.

"Oh no." the ticket cashier punched out two tickets and handed them to Naru. Taking them she lead Tadayoi into the correct screen. "Wow she must want him bad, I wouldn't take my boyfriend to see a film like that, people these days have no morals what so ever." The cashier shook her head. Inside the screen the two teens searched around in the dark for their seats finally finding them they sat down with their refreshments.

"There's not a lot of people around." Tadayoi said looking around and noticed that the only other people present were men mostly middle aged and had a rather strange look on their faces, eagerness to be more precise. "Must be a good film, everyone looks like they can't wait."

"Shh! It's starting." Naru silenced him. As the adverts and opening sequences strolled the film finally began at first it talked about a woman living in a city apartment. "What kind of film is this?" 

"Hello? Is this plumbers-u-need-in-and-out?" the women on the screen spoke. "Yes! Alright can you come over I need something fixed."

"Hmm, I don't see any plot." Tadayoi fidgeted in his seat, taking a sip from his drink.

"I'm sure it's getting to the good part, I mean it's only been 30 minutes."

"Oh so you must be the plumber!" the women on the screen said.

"Yes, the names Big, Mr V. Big." The man replied.

"Alright then Mr. Big come in let me show you my problem." The sound of clothing being torn was heard.

"Oh my God!" Tadayoi screamed spraying his drink as he saw the very naked woman on the screen he quickly covered his nose, which was gushing with blood.

"Ho ho, I see. Let me get my wrench out." The sound of unzipping was heard. This time was Naru's turn to scream.

"This is a porn movie!" She quickly got up tossing her popcorn and rushed out of the building dragging a paralysed Tadayoi along. As the two, well actually one teen made her mad dash out of the cinema a shady figured observed the whole event.

"Wow she's forward and gets straight to the point." The shadow looked on and then disappeared.

In the park

("I can't believe I went to a porn movie, I know Kitsune wants me to watch that stuff and said it was perfectly healthy but still.") Naru's mind practically short circuited due to certain images she saw not too long ago and probably will never forget, pulling her hair out she reasoned with herself saying over and over again in her head that she didn't know. Over to her left Tadayoi was doing his own thinking.

("I can't believe she took me to a porn movie!? Is she throwing me a hint? No I can't go through with this, for my own safety maybe I should call this whole thing off.") "Narusegawa." He called her name out.

"Yeah?" she turned to him

"Maybe we should call it a day." He suggested.

(" Oh no! He can't we haven't really even talked yet, gotta think of something.") "Why don't you show me around town, I mean we have time now since our movie was interrupted and all." Their faces blush at the mention of that movie.

"I guess…" (" I wonder if I'll make it through the day?") Tadayoi inwardly cringed. Being pulled at the arm Tadayoi had no choice but to comply. Whilst window shopping the same shadow from before quietly observed them.

"Damn!" the shadow silently muttered careful not to draw attention, "Why hasn't he turned her down yet?" 

"Reiko-chan?" A voice called out.

"Ack granddad!" she jumped out of the shadows.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"You see, I was er…er." She sweated bullets under the inquisition.

"You're spying on Tadayoi's date aren't you?" his eyes narrowed.

At first she tried to deny it but eventually she broke down, "Alright fine. I'm spying on him but only for his own good."

"I'm sure he can defend him self if that's what you're worried about. What you're doing is wrong."

"I know; it's just that I don't know what that woman would do to him. I want to keep him safe, would you be so heartless as to deny your only grandchild of happiness? Would you?" Her eyes watered enlarged and shot him beams of stars {Think of puppy dog's eyes when a female anime character goes all cute and no guy can turn down} 

(" Where did that came from?") He shielded himself from the starry eyed assault.

"Would you?" she continued to beam.

"Is this one of the situations where I should pretend nothing ever happened?" she nods "I'm going to turn around now."

"Thanks granddad." She gave him a little peck on the check and skipped away.

"Just like her grandmother." He sighed and walked off.  

"Wow! What is this?" Naru picked up an object from one of the market stands.

"Ah, you have a sharp eye young lady." An old yet warm voice commented.

"Oh!" Naru placed down the object and turned to an old lady who was also the storekeeper.

"Heh heh, did I startle you young lady sorry about that." She laughed a bit, "Say young lady are you by any chance Tadayoi's… intimate friend?" the old woman inquired.

"What?" Naru was shocked, "No, no! He's he's just a friend, that's all!" she waved her hands around.

"Oh, good." The old woman breathed a sigh of relief. "Because I personally think he looks better with Reiko-chan."

"Why?" 

"You see, for the longest of time actually since she was born I've known Reiko-chan and she has grown up to be a very beautiful young lady, and believe me she has had a fair share of boys chasing her after but she's turned them all down, why? Well its because she's waiting for that special someone and I think she's found him." She stretches her head to one side and focuses her attention to the young man in question, " Since her parents passed away I don't think Reiko's really been truly happy, but since Tadayoi arrived on the island she has been extremely happy." She nods solemnly, "I think they are meant for each other." At that moment something in Naru's heart ached she didn't what though but it bothered her deeply.

"Hey Narusegawa you done?" 

"Yeah let's go." She turned and left.

"Tadayoi-kun! Come back again!" the old woman called out.

"I will!" he waved back.

The rest of the walk around town was that of a silent one, uncertainty raged within Naru. (" Is what I'm doing right?") She asked herself. (" He seems so happy here. No! He only thinks he's happy! That's right, he's forgotten all the great memories we had in Hinata Sou, I mean he doesn't even remember his own name, yeah that's right, ha ha!") She deceived herself. 

"Narusegawa! Watch out!" 

"Huh!" 

Bang!

She walked directly into a lamppost stepped back from the hit and fell over the rail and landed on the bottom sidewalk.

"Ow."

"Are you OK?" he picked her up.

"Yeah, hey what's that over there?" she pointed to a large building.

"That's the aquarium."

"Really! Let's go!" ("I remember this was our final stop maybe something will finally click.")

30 minutes later

On a bench by the beach sat Tadayoi and a soaked Naru shivering from the cold.

"That was rather unlucky." Tadayoi started.

"Yeah, who would've thought that the tank I fell into was the shark feeding tank." She shivered again not from the cold but from the memory, "Thank God I made it out OK by the way thanks for saving me." She gripped the coat he gave her tighter.

"That's OK it was only a shark, or two." He scratched his head, "I mean I dealt with Kame after all and he is more deadly than any shark." He joked. As the two laughed Reiko observed them from atop of a tree.

("God! What's wrong with that thing, she should be gone by now! She's harder to get rid of than a cockroach on steroids!") She fumed. The scene returns to the beach. 

("You know he looks kind of different somehow.") She turns her head slightly so that he's just within her sights.

"Sure is a great sunset." A peaceful look was etched across his face as he said those words.

("He looks cute with green eyes, then again he looks cute without glasses, wait what did I just say? No. No! What am I thinking here he is without a single memory and I'm thinking about this stuff, hey maybe I can ask him some questions.") Her mind trailed as she thought of how to phrase the question she was about to ask.

"Something on your mind?"

"Can I ask you a question?" she suddenly asked him, he nods. "It's like this, I have a friend, she's a very good friend of mine and she's being chased by this guy. This guy's been chasing her for about 2 years now he even told her that he 'loved' her and even though she didn't reply and keeps turning him down he stills continues chasing her. What do you think?"

"How does your friend feel about him?"

"She really likes him… I think but the thing is she likes the way things are, you know just friends I don't think she wants anything to change, even though she beats him up she doesn't really mean it 'cause she does care for him but she just doesn't know what to do."

"And this so called relationship has been going on for two years?" she answers with a nod. "Hmm…" he strokes his chin, "You know I don't know about you but if I were that guy I would've given up and went for someone else, he's obviously getting nowhere with your friend." He said matter-of-factly. 

(" Ah!") She mentally screamed ("He's virtually saying he's given up on me!") "But no wait! You see he really and I mean he really likes her and won't give up so easily."

"Really? Wow this guy must have it bad for her, is he stupid?" He felt a slight pang in his heart then he noticed the expression on her face. "Hmm. You know I'd tell your friend that she's really lucky to have someone that cares for her so much." She meekly nods, "And I'd also tell your friend that if she doesn't respond someone else will come and take him away but there's also the fact that sooner or later that guy will give up, everyone has their limits and I'm sure he will eventually reach his and move on with his life. Your friend is really lucky."

"I know, I keep telling her that." Her voice came out barely a whisper.

"Is that all you wanted to ask?"

"No there's something else, erm… how do you feel about Reiko?"

("! Hmm… this is something I want to know myself.") Reiko silently climbed down the tree and moved in closer.

"Oh…well, erm… I really like her and such…" he took a breather and his nervousness left him, "You can say that it was because of her I'm still on the island and haven't left in search of my past, I think my past doesn't really matter anymore, well it does but it doesn't seem so important now. I'm just… happy being with her." He gave a tiny yet warm smile, immediately Naru recognised that smile it was the one he only gave to people he really cared for, mainly her. Over by the trees Reiko almost squealed with joy, as she finally knew how he felt about her, she smiled and continued to listen their conversation. 

(" That smile… he only ever smiles like that when he's…no it couldn't be…") she felt a sudden wave emotions wash over her, what they were she couldn't tell.

"Hey Narusegawa, if I really am who you think I am…erm, were we ever a couple?" a light shade of red appeared on his face.

"What?! No! We're just friends that's all!" 

"Oh, really in that case we must've been really good friends. I mean you came all the way out here just to look for me, we must've been really close or there must've been a strong understanding between us kind of like if I did something wrong you wouldn't jump to conclusions you would just hear me out before you did anything rash, we were like that right?"

"Er…("What should I tell him? If I lie he might never remember but if I tell the truth he might take it the other way. But wait it was always his fault anyway, he's the one that always messed up and he _should_ apologise to me, but…") her mind was in absolute chaos if she said the wrong thing it might affect his memory, "Yeah we were!" she blurted out without thinking. (" Oh my God!")

"Heh, I knew it just like me and Reiko-chan." 

"There's that name again." She whispered, ("He seems so happy when he mentions her, if I don't say something soon…I… might lose him forever. Alright Narusegawa it's time to suck it in, sallow your pride and tell him the truth!") Fire burned in her eyes as she determined to tell him the truth before it was too late. "Tadayoi the truth is… I, I lo-lo-love…" Before she could finish however a loud crash ripped through the air, turning their heads they saw the cause coming towards them or better yet it was a white van speeding towards them. As it quickly approached them Naru froze with fear unable to move just as it seemed as the van was about to run her over Tadayoi stepped in front of her and slammed his fist against the van causing it to come to a screeching stop and launching the driver out of the window.

"Seta-san!" Naru screamed tending to the fallen professor.

"Ah, is he OK?" Tadayoi asked clutching his swollen fist.

"Hey part-timer!" Seta shot up much to everyone's else amazement, "That's some strong punch you got there!" He applied a band-aid to his head.

"Thanks, but the demon blade gives me supernatural strength. Hey where's Sarah?"

"Oh I left her at the hotel I heard from the manager that you and Naru were out on a date, got lucky yet?" Seta hinted.

"No, we just talked." He replied.

"Oh, did you manage to get the translation done?"

"Yeah, I left it at Dr. Ishida's you can go pick it up."

"Thanks, so Naru need a lift back?"

"…Sure." Naru dumbfoldly reply.

"Alright, hop on." With the help of Tadayoi the two males managed to push the van right side up. Before Naru got on she had wanted to say something to Tadayoi but he didn't really listen as he ushered her in the van and waved goodbye.

"Bye!" he waved at the disappearing van, "Reiko-chan, it's rude to spy on people like that." He said in mid wave.

("Argh! How did he know?") Reiko thought pressing herself against a tree. "Fine you caught me." She stepped aside and walked up to him, "How did you know?" 

"Er, I just did. Say did you hear everything?"

"Not everything." She said innocently.

"Oh good!" he breathed a sigh of relief. Inwardly Reiko smiled to herself as how gullible he is.

(" At least one good thing came from this date, I know how he feels.") Wearing a bright smile she lead her companion back home. 

(" I wonder if he knows?") Naru poked at her charm.

"Hey Naru what's that you got there?" Seta asked looking away from the road.

"Oh this, it's a memory charm."

"Really it looks more like a repel charm to me."

"A what?"

"Repel charm, they're charms used to repel things, mainly demon spirits but they work on humans as well, the thing is when a person wears one around there neck bad luck prevents them from getting close to the person that they want to be with but you don't wear that for fun, did you get tricked into wearing it or something?" It finally clicked in Naru's head as she put one and one together the charm, how disastrous the date went, being tricked. The van jumped as she screamed out a certain someone's name in anger and frustration.

"Did you hear something?" Tadayoi stopped and looked back.

"No, just your imagination." Reiko told him.

Later that night

Sitting by the desk in his room only illuminated by a small lamp Tadayoi recalled the date and everything that Naru said to him. 

"Aoyama Motoko, Kaolla Su, Maehara Shinobu, Narusegawa Naru, Konno Mitsune." He stared at the picture in his hands and slowly said the syllables of the residents' name. "Urashima Haruka, my so called aunt." He examined more and then finally his attention focused on the last person in the picture, "Urashima…Keitaro?" he stopped and looked out the window, "Am I really this person? I mean we look alike and the time frame is just right, it couldn't be just a coincidence. Oh forget it, it's late I should sleep." Switching the lamp off he went to bed hoping that the comforts of sleep will let him rest his weary mind but as he slowly fell into deep slumber rest was not granted to him, his twisted and turned in his sleep something was disturbing his sleep an unseen force working in his mind, his past was coming back to haunt him in his dreams.        

End of chapter 11

AN: Sorry if the chapter seems a bit rushed but I'm under a lot of pressure due to the extra revision/study sessions that I've been put through and unfortunately nothings sinking in. The life of a student is never dull, my ass now sorry about this whingeing I know I shouldn't. Anyhow due to these sessions like I said before updates will be very slow, the next chapter will be around late November early December? I'm not too sure but I'll try and update in my free time so bare with me. R+R tell me what you think, and wish me luck. See ya! Till next time! Hopefully soon! 


	12. Torn Apart

Disclaimer: Ah… the usual, I don't own Love Hina.

Note: Hmm… well I certainly had interesting reviews for my last chapter, you know people saying about the pairing and all, what sparked it all? Was it the scene between Naru and Tadayoi where they had their Q&A? I must say I'm glad you all like it that was the effect I was looking for, the whole awareness of feelings… well only 2 more chapters left, 13 and epilogue and trust me it'll get interesting and somewhat confusing from this point onwards so be warned. Anyway, enough babbling! Let's begin this chapter! Anything in () means thoughts so lets start-o!

Torn apart 

A lone cherry blossom petal gently glides through the air accompanied by the sweet gentle smell of autumn, the warm orange glow of the sun shining through the brown withering leaves, two young children laugh and play in the sand pit. Their laughter of joy wakes Tadayoi from his slumber beneath the tree.

"Argh…" He moans placing a hand to his face, "Where am I?" he asked still half asleep.

"Let's go to Toudai together, OK?" The young girl asked the boy opposite her.

"It's this dream again." He turns to face the two from afar, "And now he says 'yes' and then she kisses him on the cheek." As he finishes the girl kisses the boy on the cheek. "Like I said." He propped his head on his hand, "I wonder why I'm here? I stopped having this dream months ago, is my mind trying to tell me something?" 

"So it's a promise Kei-kun?" the girl asked hopefully.

"Wait I've never seen this bit." 

"Mmm! Mu-chan we'll go together." Tadayoi's expression changed as his mind took in the new scene, it seemed strangely familiar to him. "But what about Na-chan?" 

"Who?" Tadayoi mouthed.

"Hmm… your right. Let's go look for her!" Mu-chan proposed clapping her hands together.

"Yeah let's go!" Kei-kun stood up.

"Yeah." The young girl giggles and takes the young boy's hand leading him towards a large building off in the distance, which Tadayoi faintly recognises. 

"That's… Hinata Sou…" he looked on in amazement and proceeded after the children. (" Maybe if I get there everything will be clear to me.") He thought as he follows the path the children took. After running for a few minutes he finally arrives at the steps of Hinata Sou. (" Wow, it's just like the picture Narusegawa showed me.") he looks up to the building and slowly begins to ascend the stairs. (" This is it, everything I wanted to know… maybe I'll finally find it here.") As he climbed the final step faint recognition struck. (" This was… my grandma's?")   

"Pervert!" A female's voice screamed.

"What?" 

"I'm sorry!" a male voice screamed, "It was an accident!" 

"Liar!" the female screamed.

"He's on the roof!" another voice screamed.

"The roof?" Tadayoi thought and unconsciously entered turning a corner and headed up the stairs (" How did I know where to turn?"). Reaching the roof he sees everyone is already there surrounding someone, however they did not seem to acknowledge his presence behind them. He tried to see who they had surrounded but when he tried to move he couldn't something was holding him in place and all he could do was listen to the girls complain and the male apologizing, he blushed hearing the male's story. After the short conversation he saw the girls attack the male figure but he couldn't make out the face, "How could he still be standing?" Tadayoi stared in awe and then suddenly his legs were able to move again and he fell forward. As he looked up from his fall he was still behind the girls but this time he was at the front door on the inn and the girls were waving various banners.

"Good luck on your exam!" Kitsune shouted.

"You know I'll do great!" Naru replied waving back from below the steps.

"I meant the guy next to you!" The male figure next to Naru fell.

"Hey!" he shouted back and everyone laughed.

"Damn! Who is that? I can't make out the face!" Tadayoi squinted trying to get a view of the figure. "Sighs… its no use." He slumped and rubbed his eyes, when he removed his hand from his face he was once again displaced this time in the lobby of the inn. "This is freaky."  The phone rings.

"Hello! The number you dialled does not exist anymore!" Su answered the phone but before she could say anything else an object struck her on the head and she promptly passed out.

"Sempai? Is that you?" Shinobu asked the upside down phone in her hands. "Wait! Sempai!" 

"This is weird… am I going insane?" Tadayoi wondered and regretted not listening to Dr. Ishida about taking regular rests and inform her about any delusions, he made a mental note that if he survived through this tell the Doc. A sudden silence caused him to snap back to 'reality' as there was no one there anymore, he was alone in the lobby. "Hello!" he shouted down the halls, "Scratch freaky, this is bizarre!" he nodded. Looking around he decided to explore the building provided no one hindered his progress. As he searched though the empty halls of Hinata Sou various images flashed through his mind, taken aback by the bombardment of images he leans on a beam for support. "Were those…memories I just saw?" he breathed heavily sweat running down his face.

"Seems like you're beginning to remember." A voice echoed.

"Who's there?" He turned around and found himself standing in front of the manager's room, cautiously he opened the door and found nothing out of the ordinary. Dropping his guard he proceeds into the room, "This is familiar…" he looked around some more "…strangely familiar" he added. Opening the wardrobes and cupboards he found various bits and pieces of items, books, cloths, stationary and certain over age 18+ material, he blushed when he saw them. Looking left and right making sure no one was around he flicked through the pages feeling embarrassed he tossed the 'material' aside and tried to stop his nosebleed, successfully stopping his nosebleed his attention returned to the items he discovered though they seemed like ordinary items he noted none of them had the name of the owner on them. "What's happening? It feels like the twilight zone or something… is it stuffy in here?" he asked no one in particular to remedy the problem he opened the windows and he remained there as he saw the scenery, "…I… remember this place…the beach house…the tea house… the…"

"No! I've worked so hard to stop this from happening! I won't let you remember!" That same voice echoed but this time it seemed to be under stress.

"Who are you?" Tadayoi tried to locate the voice.

"No…" the voice sounded weak.

"Hey! You OK?" Tadayoi took a step forward as soon as he did he stopped realising he stood on something, a piece of paper of some sort, curious he bent down and picked up the paper discovering it to be a photo. It was the same one as the photo Naru had given him but with one major difference "I'm… I mean Keitaro's not in the photo." He stared in shock at the space where he/Keitaro should've been finding it to be empty as if he/Keitaro was never there in the first place. "I…I can't take it anymore, who are you? Why are you doing this?" he collapsed on his knees.

"This is for your own, no, our good." The voice replied.

"You're not making any sense!" he slammed his fist hard on to the ground.

"All you need to know is to forget everything and not remember anything, it'll only bring back painfully memories and that promise that started it all." The voice replied calmly.

"Wait! You know don't you? About everything!" 

"Perhaps. Maybe I'll tell you outside." Hearing the last comment Tadayoi quickly gets to his feet and dashes to the window and looks down to see a figure looking up at him.

"You!" he shouted at the figure outside the inn. Through the shade of the trees the figure's facial features were obscured, waving a slow wave the figure turned and walked down the stairs of Hinata Sou.

"God damn you wait!" ignoring his safety Tadayoi leapt out of the window landing on the ground floor. "You…" his sentence was cut short as his scenery once again changed this time it was the changing rooms. "Argh!" he kicked one of the lockers in frustration. "Why? Why is this happening to me?"

"Hey! Let's see how much you've grown, heh heh!" Kitsune's voice was heard.

"No get away from me! No, it tickles! Ha haaha! Su get off!" Naru's voice complained followed by the sounds of water splashing.

"Yay!" 

"What's going on in there?" opening the screen door he found his answer. When he opened the door he was not ready for the scene in front of him, all of the girls from Hinata Sou naked in a hot spring, blood trickled from his nostrils "Err…" unlike before however the girls seemed to be aware of his presence obvious from the stares that they directed at him, "S-sor-sorry?" he spluttered.

"You pervert! How many times must you do this?" Naru got up fist clenched.

"You dishonourable male!" Motoko drew her sword from out of nowhere.

"Sempai!" Shinobu whimpered.

"O… he's gonna get it." Both Kitsune and Su said in unison.

"Listen I can explain." He franticly pleaded.

"No excuses! Die!" Motoko and Naru's voices echoed as they launched their attacks simutiously.

"Wait! I didn't even explain!" Tadayoi winched his eyes close, bringing up his arms he prepared himself for their attack but it never came. Slowly opening one eye he saw that he was once again alone, "Where are they?" he stepped through the door closing it completely when he stepped through. "You know this is actually rather nice." He walked up to the hot spring and bent down to look at it's crystal clear surface, running his hand through the water he caused ripples to form slowly it subsided and when it did the surface no longer reflected his face but a different yet similar face to his own, the reflection was him expect 'he' didn't have green eyes and instead 'he' wore a pair of geeky square glasses.

"I really don't get why you want to remember so badly?" The voice from earlier began from behind him. "It's the same everyday, misunderstandings, beatings and grief. Why do you want to remember?"

"Well." Tadayoi stood up expecting to face this mysterious being but instead he found 'him', a shadow sitting behind the screen door. "Because it's a part of me." He inched slowly to the door.

"Don't bother." The voice informed him stopping him in his tracks. 

"Who are you? Are you responsible for all this?" 

"…yes and no." the voice hesitatingly replied.

"What does that mean?" he inched a little bit more to the door.

"Why don't you ask Narusegawa? She hasn't told you how you lost your memory did she?"

"No. Not quite." Tadayoi stopped and wondered why she didn't mention how he lost his memories.

"I wonder why she didn't tell you, hmm?" the voice mocked arrogance

"I don't know."

"You should really ask. I think you'll like the answer."

"What do you mean, do _you_ know?" he inched another inch.

"Maybe, maybe not."

"Answer me." Tadayoi's voice now sounded angry "Was it you that made me forget?"

"Memories are strange things aren't they? The more you try to forget the more it comes back. There is a reason why you lost your memories…"

"And what would that be?" Tadayoi asked tearing the door open expecting to finally meeting this mysterious shadow that has been plaguing him for so long. But like everything that has happened before it didn't turn out the way he expected, instead of the changing rooms he was back in the park.

"It's a second chance, a second chance at happiness." The voice faded away.

"What! Wait!" Tadayoi reached out into the air, realising how useless it was he fell on to his rear turning his head he already knew what to expect.

"Kei-kun, do you know that if two people who are in love with each other go to Toudai together they'll find happiness?" Mu-chan asked Kei-kun.

"Really?" Kei-kun asked enthusiastically.

"Mmm-hum," She nods "So let's make a promise together!" She clasped her hands together.

"What type of promise?"

"Let's go to Toudai together!" 

"Yeah! Pinkie promise!" he extended his pinkie to her and in return she linked hers with his, pumping their hands a few times they parted and to seal the deal the girl kisses him on the cheek.

"Heh heh! Promise!" 

"Yeah! Promise!" The two laughed.

"…Pro-promise?" A second girl barely manager to whisper as if the word was completely new to her.

"Hey! Na-chan!" Kei-kun greeted the second girl who seemed to be younger that both Kei-kun and Mu-chan. Na-chan clung on to her doll as Kei-kun approached her and guided her to the sand pit. 

"Na-chan, do you want to go to Toudai with us as well?" Mu-chan asked Na-chan, she nods, "OK! Then let's all go to Toudai together then!" The 3 young children all cheer as they slowly fade away. Alone, Tadayoi observed all that has transpired tears running down his face.

"Why can't I remember?" he said between sobs, "Why?"

"Why?" the voice had returned "Because…"

"Because what!? What!?" he screamed.

"…it's a second chance." And almost instantly the scenery changed but this time it was familiar to him, it was the Aoi beach and there was Reiko.

"Reiko-chan…" Tadayoi whispered whilst facing her back.

Turning around Reiko beamed at him, "Tadayoi-kun!" she waved her smile still present on her face "Come on let's go!" She waved him to come closer.

"Reiko-chan!" he ran towards her but it was pointless as she slowly moved away from him without even moving her smile still present. "Reiko-chan!" Tripping over he falls to the ground. "No…no no NO!" he repeatedly shouted increasing in volume.

"If you try to remember anymore you will lose her, you'll be torn between your past and the present. Don't let that happen." The voice seemed gentle this time and with a hint of sadness. 

"No! Please no more!" he shook his head violently "No more!" 

Shooting up from his bed his bed sheets and himself covered in sweat, his eyes wide from shock. "What was that?" he asked between heavy breaths. "What?" shaking his head he decided some fresh might do him some good.    

In the darkness that is the Kane family house a figure silently tip toes across the floors, stealthily towards the kitchen.

"Heh heh!" Reiko's facial features become clear as the light of the kitchen fridge shines upon her, "I know I shouldn't be cheating on my diet but it's only a bite!" She reasoned with herself taking a piece of chocolate cake from the fridge, grinning she proceeded to take the cake upstairs until that is she spotted her troubled house mate standing outside the living room leaning on the balcony staring at the sky, "Tadayoi-kun?" Swallowing the entire piece in one go she walks up to him. "Hey! What's…" she stopped when she saw the troubled expression on his face, "Tadayoi?" she poked him.

"Wha- oh, it's you Reiko-chan." His replied held a hint of sadness.

"Why aren't you in bed?"

"I can't sleep." He told her plainly

"That explains why you're not in bed but what's keeping you awake?" she leaned on him.

"I'm not really sure myself… strange dreams, ones I can't explain." He looked up to the sky.

"Are you really OK?" 

"Mmm." He nods and forces a smile she of course knows this but plays along.

"Right then. It's time for your bedtime. Come on let's go!" she leads him up stairs. Once up there she lays him on the bed and tucks him in. "You stay there OK? I'll go and get you a cup of warm milk. Disappearing into the darkness she returns moments later a cup of milk in hand only to see Tadayoi sound asleep, seeing him so peaceful she smiles. Placing the milk on the desk she notices the photo, turning she kneels down to his sleeping form "You look so peaceful." She brings a hand to his face, "I don't want to see you suffer like this. I'll help you in anyway I can." Moving towards his face she kisses him on the lips, after savouring the taste of his lips she moves away from his them and slowly moves towards his ear where she whispers soft gentle words. Again within the darkness Reiko sits by the desk observing the young man, satisfied that he is alright she heads for the door but before she completely exists the door she turns around for one last glance, "I wish you felt the same about me." With that she leaves.

Within the darkness of Tadayoi's room a pair of eyes slowly open. Turning on to his side he places a hand to his lips thinking about what has just happened his mind is in utter confusion. "But I do Reiko-chan, I do…" Reaching out to his desk he grabs the photo and stares at it, "What am I doing?" Closing his eyes the strain of everything that has occurred finally catches up to him and plunges him to a dreamless sleep. Somewhere else in the Kane family house Reiko leans against the wall, "I'll help you Tadayoi-kun, in anyway I can and I think I know just how." Looking out the window she stares at the full moon looming above her, a shooting star flies across and fades off into the distance.

Early March

It has been weeks since that faithful night and everything has been going down hill since then. Tadayoi became very distant and avoided everyone of the girls, including Reiko and this lead to a whole chain of events one of which will drastically change the lives' everyone involved. 

"Hey! Tadayoi-kun!" Reiko shouted banging on the door of his room, "Are you OK in there?" No response. "Er… hey listen I've got something to do, so… I won't be back in a while, OK?" Still no response. Feeling depressed and heart broken Reiko took one last look at the door, which separated herself and the young man in question and went back to her room. Inside her room Reiko changed into her battle out fit when fully dressed she checked herself once more before heading to a small cupboard tucked away at the corner of her room. Opening the cupboard she picked up the object that was kept there, her demon blade, _Kami-nari Ha_. Slinging it over her shoulder she proceeded downstairs and stopped in the living room where she stopped in front of two plaques. Lighting some incense she bowed to them three times and stuck the incense in a ash pot leaving them to burn, leaving through the front door she headed off to confront what she believed was the cause of all this.

On her way Reiko was thinking over and over again in her mind what had happened over the last few weeks and wondered why. (" Tadayoi, have you abandoned me? Why have you been avoiding me? Was it because of that night?") She touched her lips slightly. (" No! It's their fault, we were so happy before they came. Back then it was just you and me, even you said you were happy with me. It's their fault! I'll get rid of them once and for all and it'll be back the way it was, and should be.") As she finished her thoughts she was already standing in front of her destination, Aoi Hotel.

"Narusegawa!" She yelled at the top of her lungs causing Naru and the girls to appear out on the balcony to see what the commotion was about. "You!" Reiko pointed to her. "I challenge you to a duel! To settle this once and for all!"

"What are you talking about?" Naru asked completely clueless to what she was on about.

"A duel, you idiot!" Reiko shouted back venomously. 

"This doesn't make sense!"

"I'll tell you what doesn't make sense, it's that why you had to come here!" She plunged her sword into the ground causing a few cracks on the concrete floor to appear. "Before you came everything was perfect, me, Tadayoi it was everything I wanted. That is until you came, why did you disrupt my life the way you did, why? I was so happy, we were happy!" 

"Happy? For god's sake he doesn't even remember his own name!  How can he be happy? Answer me that!" Naru retorted who was now fuming and all of the other girls stepped back from her, as they knew it was getting dangerous.

"Shut up! Look at what you've done to him! Ever since that so called 'date' Tadayoi's been troubled since. Every night as I pass by the living room I would see him standing by the balcony staring at the ocean holding that stupid picture, every time he does that he had this same sad expression on his face every night. Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to see him like that and not be able to do anything, do you!?" She yelled with unbelievable anger causing the girls to step back from fright. "Well not any more." She took her sword out and pointed it at Naru, the blade was glowing and was crackling with lightning signalling she was ready to battle. "I will repeat my self once more, I challenge you to a duel. If I win you, and your friends will leave the island and never return, however…" she exhales " if by some miracle you win I will relinquish Tadayoi to you." She lowers her blade "What say you?"       

"I accept!" Naru replied without hesitation. 

"What?" The girls said in unison.

"Good." Reiko smiled sadistically. " I'll meet you in the court yard behind the Shinto shrine, we'll settle things there." In the blink of an eye Reiko disappeared into thin air.

"Naru-sempai, what are thinking?" Motoko asked Naru.

"I'm thinking that we can finally end this." Her voice came as a muffle as she placed her t-shirt on.

"But please I want…er, I mean we all want Urashima back but there must be another way. You cannot possibly challenge her head on, we must out smart her."

"What choice do we have? This is our only chance." She tightens her shoelaces.

"But the odds of winning are…"

"Very good!" Su butted in and all the girls stare at her all giving her the same look, 'how?'

"What do you mean Su?" Kitsune motioned her to carry on.

"With these!" she presented a pair of gauntlets out of nowhere.

"What are they?" Everyone asked as they stared on at the strange contraption, the truth be told the gauntlets was probably the most normal thing Su has ever created. They were white metallic gauntlets that covered all of the hands and the forearms, on each knuckle there were metal studs on them and just slightly above the knuckles were some sort of orb on each hand covering the rest of the backhand. Basically they seemed quite normal the only worrying thing was the warning symbol of nuclear material on each forearm. 

"These are gravity gauntlets!" she proudly announced. No response. "You see these gauntlets give you the ability to control gravity to attack and defend." She shoved them to Naru "Here Naru you can use them in your fight. I've been looking for a test dummy and this might be fun, with these you won't lose!" Su placed her hands on her hips and laughed like a mad scientist.

Everyone sweatdrops.

"Well at least now I have a edge," Naru stares at the gauntlets and sees the label 'Prototype: Warning highly unstable! Patented by Su.', "I think…"

20 minutes later Shinto courtyard

"I'm surprised that you actually showed up." Reiko greeted everyone as she stood up, " I thought you'd…" her statement was cut off as she stared at what Naru was wearing, it looked like a UNIT:02 plug suit from NGE [Remember volume 10 of the manga?]. "What are you wearing!?" Reiko bursts out laughing.

"Shut up!" Naru retorted covering up herself with her hands. "Su, do really have to wear this?" She turned to the young genius.

"Of course it allows me to read your bio-readings."

"Really?"

"Mmm." She shrugs 

"Su!" Everyone bursts out laughing.

"Ah-ha…enough." Reiko catches her breath and the others stop. "You ready to lose, Narusegawa?"

"In your dreams!" Naru readied herself.

"Good. I want to take you down at your best, it'll be so much sweeter then." Reiko slid one foot back and readied herself also. There was a faint glint in her eyes as she placed her hand on the hilt of the sword and everyone else picked up that glint as well.

"Hey Motoko-chan, did you see that glint?" Kitsune whispered.

"Yes." 

"What do you think it was?"

"It was the thirst for blood."  Kitsune opened her eyes in shook.

"You don't mean…" Motoko nods, "She wouldn't…"

"I hope so, I pray to God."

"Naru, what have you gotten yourself into?"

Standing a few metres apart the two fighters stare at each other intensely both fighting for the same reason. The two continued to stare at each other at what seemed like an eternity until finally Naru moved in with her Naru-punch, Reiko noticing something was different about the punch moved her sword up to bloke it and skidded a few steps from the impact of the punch.

(" How can she generate so much strength?") Reiko thought delivering a knee to Naru's torso sending the latter back. Naru miraculously rose to her feet, which surprised everyone that is except Su.

"It only felt like a sting." Naru examined herself.

"How?" Shouted Reiko who was now beginning to get frustrated over what she believed to be an easy win.

"Let me explain." Su suddenly appeared in a professor's outfit and a blackboard. "You see the suit that Naru is wearing is a highly polymered substance woven and fused from fine materials." She point to the chalk picture of Naru with numerous equations scribbled around it, "Not only is it soft to the touch it can be used as a transmitter as well to report the vital signs of the wearer." She brings out a small monitor from her cloths. "But also as a shock absorber protecting the wearer from various types of damage. You can shoot the wearer with a tank and they'd still be OK." Su laughs manically and disappears as suddenly as she came.

"O…K…" Naru sounded unsure. "Wait! That means you can't hurt me!" she jeered at Reiko.

"Not quite." Su reappeared again behind the girls, this time in her normal cloths. "The suit only reduces damage, not completely nullifying it you can still feel pain. If the shock is too big or you overload it, it'll break."

"Oh…"

"Heh heh! That means I'll have to hit you harder!" Reiko smiled evilly thrusting her sword at Naru.

"Naru! Use the gravity barrier!" Following Su's advice raised her fists so that the orbs faced Reiko. Glowing a pale green the orbs generated a semi-transparent dome around her blocking Reiko's attack.

"What is that?" Reiko jumped back.

"Ha ha! That's my gravity barrier! It generates a barrier of gravity around the user and acts as a shield!" Su proudly declared.

(" Is she some sort of genius? I wonder how she does on her tests?") Reiko thought, pushing those thoughts aside she spoke to Naru, "Hmm… this might interesting after all… how about we step this up a notch…" she suggested. 

"What do you mean?" Naru questioned somewhat fearful

"I mean we skip this warm up and fight for real." All the girls were shocked to hear this.

"You mean…"

"Yes, I've been holding back." Her hair shadowed her eyes as she started to crackle with lightning, the sun slowly setting taking away with it it's light and replacing it with darkness thus setting the stage for a great battle between rivals. 

Elsewhere on the island

Sitting silently by himself Tadayoi watches the sunset from his room the events of weeks ago still replaying in his mind. First there was Naru's smile, which brought him a warmth he swear he felt before. Secondly there was Reiko's tender kiss the sensation still lingering on his lips. Then finally there was his dream. What was it? He thought to himself, an omen, a window to his past, maybe even his future, basically it could've been anything but it meant something to him he just knew. Those two children were always there and now there's a third. The stress of this caused him to slump into depression, it was so confusing and until he could figure it out he didn't want to trouble anyone and it was because of his current state he hadn't notice the massive gathering of energy until now. 

"Reiko-chan?" he called out in the dark filled corridor. "Are you here?" he walked up to her room, getting no response he opened the door. "Hey, I'm sorry to barge in but I…" he stopped noticing the empty cupboard. "No." turning on his heels he ran right out of the house.

Battle site

War waged on between the two warriors, as furious blows were exchanged one after another, gravity beam here and there, a bolt of lighting, gravity sphere, exploding light. Quite simply, it was literally the unholy/holy battle between heaven and hell on earth where the rebel angels lead by Lucifer waging war against God [OK, maybe not that bad but you know…just very bad]. Minutes seemed like hours as the time slowly passes, fatigue and wounds showed on the two warriors the audience was quite amazed as how the two warriors had kept up this pace, what was fuelling them?

"Heh…heh… you're quite good Narusegawa." Reiko complemented.

"Heh…so are you." Naru wheezed.

"You know, maybe under different circumstances we could've avoided all of this and have became friends instead." 

"Then why don't the two of you stop?" A voice asked. Everyone turned to the voice.

"Tadayoi!" everyone said.

"Why are you here?" Reiko asked.

"And why shouldn't I? What are the two of you doing?" He looked at the two.

"We're doing this for you." Naru told him setting her sights back on Reiko.

"Yeah, so stay out of this." Reiko tightened her grip on the sword.

"You two are insane! Stop this!" he approached Reiko but stopped abruptly as Reiko pointed her sword at him.

"Please, let us do this. We honestly need to do this." She firmly gazed into his eyes, understanding her look he reluctantly backed down. "Thank you."

And so it continued, even more blows were exchanged and injuries increased and through out the entire time Tadayoi stood at the sidelines absolutely powerless to stop all of this. After a few more minutes Reiko delivered a powerful blow to Naru shattering her barrier and most of her offensive capabilities, it seemed to be the end for Naru.

"It looks like I've won." Reiko wiped some sweat from her face pointing her sword at the fallen Naru.

"I'll never give." She spat at her.

"Stubborn till the end." Reiko raised her sword and prepared to deliver the knock out blow. Truth is she had no intention of killing Naru just hurt her badly and then make her suffer by sending Naru photos of herself and Tadayoi together, of course no one knew this they thought she was trying to kill Naru for real.

"It can't end like this."

"Naru!" Su shouted, "Use the gravity grid! Just point your palms at her!"

"Like this?" Naru pointed her palms at Reiko. Suddenly Reiko felt as if her body weighed a ton, the ground crumbling around her being compressed in a spherical shape by a unseen force.  

"Argh… what is this?" Reiko moaned in pain. "It's hard to…breath!" 

"Reiko-chan!" Tadayoi cried out concerned for Reiko. 

"Alrighty Naru! Use the ultimate technique! 'Mega gravity Naru punch' and finish her once and for all!"

"Right!" Pulling back her fist, Naru prepared to deliver the blow. Surges of dark energy surrounded her fist and using all her might she threw her fist at Reiko. Time slowed at the instant as no one expected what was to happen. As Naru's fist glided through the air towards Reiko a figured appeared in the fist's path, it being Tadayoi trying to shield the blow. It was too late for Naru to stop now, the fist had connected, right into his head. Everyone gasped in horror as the sickening bone crunching thud echoed through the air and Tadayoi went sailing into the sky followed by a trail of blood right into the horizon. All of this took place in under 6 seconds.

"Tadayoi!" Reiko screamed ignoring all the pain and fatigue in her body she sprinted after him. As she reached the seashore she threw her weapon aside and dived into the ocean after him, fighting the cold waters she finally got a hold of him and dragged him to shore resting his head on her lap. "Tadayoi! Speak to me!"

"Reiko?" he asked weakly reaching his hand out into the air. 

"I'm here!" she clasped onto his cold hand "Don't die, OK?!" 

"Mmm…" He nodded. "Just let me sleep…" as soon as he finished the sentence he past out on Reiko's lap.

"Oh my God! Please wake up! Don't die! Please! Don't leave me!" Shaking his unconscious body, tears rolling down her face she desperately tried to revive him.

"Tadayoi!!!"  His mind grows dark.

"Tadayoi!!" Gets even darker.

 "Tadayoi!" Pitch darkness he remains, by himself drifting in the sea of darkness that is his mind.

"Hey! You OK?" A gentle touch revived him.

"What?" Tadayoi opened his eyes to see the dream girl staring at him along with her two friends. "You're…"

"Heh heh!" She giggled and ran off with her friends.

"Wait!" He tried to grab her.

"She was always like that, so innocent and care free." The voice said.

"It's you again." Tadayoi slouched, "I'm not even gonna bother to turn around."

"Alright then, in that case I'll just have to walk in front of you." The presence walked up from Tadayoi so that he was facing him. Raising his gave he finally came face to face with his mysterious tormentor and what he saw shocked him.

"You…look just like me." He stared at his twin, "Who are you?"

"I'm you, or should I say I was you. Urashima Keitaro." Keitaro Replied.

End of chapter 12   

AN: I am so sorry for the lateness of this chapter but in November it was revision and I've been ill since the beginning of December, really annoying but there was also the fact I was slightly bone-idle. Anyhow my throbbing headache is disappearing now and I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. On a final note I'd like to thank everyone that has supported me up to this point and I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year! Best wishes to beginning writers especially!"     


	13. That was then and this is now

Disclaimer: I said it before and I'll say it again I don't owe Love Hina

AN: Heh heh, sorry for the long wait most of you probably have your torches and pitch forks at the ready but let me explain, rather sad using excuses… erm, anyway I didn't have much free time since I finished the last chapter I mean I just finished my exams on the 23/01/04 so there. And another thing this chapter will be rather confusing and very mushy, so be warned. Anything in () means thought and well enough chatter, this is what everyone that's been reading has been waiting for, here we go! Start-o!

That was then and this is now 

"You're…you're who?" Tadayoi retreated from Keitaro trying to comprehend what is happening.

"I'm Urashima Keitaro, your past." Keitaro calmly replied.

"I get it now." He said which surprised Keitaro as he was amazed how easily he took this. "I've finally lost it." Keitaro falls down. "That punch must've smashed my skull or something." He gasped in horror.

"You're not insane!" Keitaro shouted thrusting up from the ground.

"Then I must be dead!" He began to cry, "I've never even had a girlfriend!" Keitaro just stares on wandering if he were ever that pathetic. Getting sick and tired of his twin's complaints he places his hands on his shoulders and shakes him back to 'reality'.

"You're not dead! And you're not insane! You are in our sub-consciousness!" he finally managed to get through to the crying Tadayoi.

"Sub-consciousness?"

"Sighs. Yes, sub-consciousness." Tadayoi eyes him weirdly. "You know that the mind is made of a consciousness and a sub-consciousness, right?" Remembering his talks with Dr Ishida Tadayoi nods. "Mmm-hmm, the conscious side controls the bodies actions and such, and the sub-conscious stores memory. Well I happen to be your sub-conscious and you're in my world now." He finished explaining and began to walk off.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Tadayoi perused after Keitaro.

"This park isn't really a place to talk, let's talk in Hinata Sou. We'll take this path." He pointed to a archway that suddenly appeared in between the Cherry Blossom trees forming a path, "This think of it as 'memory lane'." Seeing the look on Tadayoi's face he knew what he was thinking. "When we get to Hinata Sou I'll explain everything." He raised his eyebrows expecting an answer, Tadayoi nods. "Then lets go." He led the way.

As the two progressed down the lane various windows appeared showing various images some displayed the girls and him, some displayed him and Reiko many however he didn't really recognise. Every time that he saw an image that he didn't recognise something in his head clicked as if pieces of a long forgotten puzzle finally falling in to place, though there were still many pieces missing it was slowly appearing. At the end of the somewhat long lane the two exited the archway and appeared at the steps of Hinata Sou, which looked unusually longer than usual.

"Shall we?" Keitaro gestured up the stairs. Satisfied at his twin's response he began walking up the stairs closely followed by Tadayoi. As the two slowly made their way up the stairs ghostly images of the three children ran past them, they appeared and disappeared suddenly all this time however Keitaro didn't even bother to turn around, it frightened Tadayoi as the possibility of him actually gone whack did cross his mind several times and it didn't help either that the steps he took did not seem to shorten the distance between him and Hinata Sou, it was as if he was a hamster running a running wheel, it was never ending.

"What is this?" He managed to ask staring at the vision that just disappeared. He received no response. "Erm, I asked…"

"We're here." Keitaro stated.

"Where…oh…" Tadayoi stared up to look at Hinata Sou. "Hey, wait!" He ran up to his twin who had entered the building during his admiration of the building. "Where are we going?"

"My room, of course." Silently the two went up to the manager's room.

"So this is your room."

"Actually it's more like _our_ room." Keitaro started the kettle. "You'd like anything to drink?"

"Er… Tea would be OK." He seated himself to where his twin pointed right next to the table. Minutes later Keitaro handed Tadayoi his drink and placed his own on the table, it seemed strange to Tadayoi if they were in his mind did they really had to wait for the water to boil but he quickly pushed that aside there were more important questions. "I think it's time that you explain yourself." Tadayoi asked tired of this charade.

"Of course, but can I ask you a question first." Keitaro asked seriously looking out the window. Tadayoi nods wondering what he had to ask him. "What do you think of your stay on the island?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you like it on the island?"

"Of course! Who wouldn't?" Tadayoi smiled but faded once he saw the expression on his twin's face. "Why do you ask, we are the same mind. Aren't we?" Keitaro gets up from the table and went over to the balcony.

"What do you think of Narusegawa?"

"I think she kind and caring and…" He was harshly interrupted.

"Half truths. It seems you still don't remember much, I had hoped walking down that lane and up those stairs would freshen just enough of your memory but I was wrong." He sighs. "I think for you to really understand I can't hold back these memories any more."

"Just what are you saying? Are you responsible for my amnesia?"

"Yes and no. No, as in I didn't start it and yes, as in I deliberately held back your memories."

"This still doesn't make sense." Keitaro shook his head in frustration.

"Hmm… how should I put this? I know! Remember I told you that the mind is made of a sub-consciousness and a consciousness right? Well, I'm the former and you're the latter." He sits back down at the table. "But our roles weren't always that." He swirled his tea. " At one point I was the consciousness and you were the sub-consciousness." He stopped.

"This was before the amnesia." Keitaro slowly nods.

"You catch on quick, then again you were always the smart one."

"But how did all of this…" he shook his head completely at a lost for words.

"How? Let me tell you." Bit by bit Keitaro began to tell his twin regarding the events of the faithful day that led to his amnesia. 

"I don't believe it! How can anyone do that?" Tadayoi asked unbelievingly.

"It happens more often than you think. Now as I was saying, she sent me flying and as I soared through the air I began to give, I couldn't go on anymore, I didn't care if I'd died or not I just didn't care anymore. Then as I faded ready for death you took over, you weren't ready to die yet and so you took control over our body. Though unconscious you fought to keep us alive and eventually we made it to shore." 

"But if I took control how come I don't remember that?"

"Don't know but when I finally woke up I found that I was no longer in control and that you were instead. I had lost my will power and I was still too tired so I let you take control, besides you always wanted to break free." The last comment caught Tadayoi's attention. "I wasn't ready for what punishment the girls had in store for me but then it came to me we were no longer in Hinata Sou, I thought we were dead. And it was at that time that I realised something was different, you didn't seem like yourself. Then I searched our mind, something was amiss you had forgotten everything." Again Tadayoi was intrigued at his comments.

(" The way he talks about me, it's as if I've been here all along. Argh… but I can't remember.") Tadayoi screamed in his head.

"Then I saw her…" Keitaro paused, his face calm as if remembering a fond memory. "I would've never imagined someone as beautiful as her being so nice to me, as my stay in Hinata Sou made me think otherwise." He paused again.

("He must be referring to Reiko…hey, wait a sec…was it really that bad in Hinata Sou that he can't imagine a person being that nice to him? I can't remember…") Tadayoi held his head.

"Soon after we were able to walk again I saw the sights of the island through your eyes, everything that you saw and awed I felt it too. It was nothing like Hinata Sou…so peaceful and tranquil I thought this was paradise. But I knew that it would never last, eventually you'd remember and went back to our previous life… or so I thought." He stopped and looked at his twin letting the last of his words to sink in.

"…" Tadayoi gave him a strange look.

"I knew you had lost your memory but I didn't know how but then Dr. Ishida explained it all it, it was due to the swelling. Do you know what it did to us? No? Well, it severed the link between you and me, we were no longer connected and because I remembered I was aware of you but weren't aware of me." He took a sip.

"But why did I forget and not you? Shouldn't we both forget?"

"It's like this, over the years because of our different attitudes towards life that we or should I say I pushed you away and eventually we became so distant that we virtually became two different people with different personalities sharing the same body. Did you know that each personality has its own set of memories, that's way when people with multi personality syndrome do things one day and claim that they have no memory of what they did the other day, we're like that. Get it now?"

"I think I do…" He scratched his head.

"As I was saying because of that swelling you forgot, which I thought was quite nice since it gave me time to relax. However as time progressed you began to heal and you began to remember and I would not allow you to ruin my idea of a perfect world, so using my abilities I created a barrier to stop you from getting your memories. Do you remember when ever you tried to remember you felt as if something was blocking you, that was me."

"Why did you do it?"

"Why?" He snorted, "You should know why." He continued seeing his twin's clueless expression. "Do you know what life was like before all of this? Wait, you don't. Then let me tell you." His face no longer peaceful but instead showed signs of anger and pain. "It could hardly be called 'life', ever since I was young everyone called you a failure a social reject, to be laughed and ridiculed I hated it all and you didn't help things either." He stared a hole in to Tadayoi who was wondering what did he do to deserve such a stare. "The only thing I had to keep me going was that promise of happiness and it was also that that let me stayed control over our body, time and time again you would try to take control but I pushed you back but every time you kept getting stronger where as my will was weakening, even if we didn't get amnesia it would've only been a matter of time before you took control. Then it was Hinata Sou, at first I thought it was quite good but boy, was I wrong." He looked down at the floor and shook his head. "But I guess the biggest problem was Narusegawa… the girl I thought I loved…" he begins to laugh to himself scarring Tadayoi.

("I think he's the one that's snapped not me.") He began to move away slightly.

"Sorry, sorry get back here." He waved. "I haven't gone insane, I was just laughing at my stupidity how can I love someone if I never knew what love was. I was a fool." He stared in to Tadayoi's eyes and the pain Tadayoi saw in them made him wonder. "That's why I did all of this." He got up spreading his arms out. "All of it!"

"But why?"

"I wanted a new start in life and this was blessing in disguise, it was a clean slate to begin all over again if it weren't for that promise that caused all of this."

"What does this have to do with that promise?" Tadayoi asked curiously.

"That promise is what started it all. I t was because of that same promise that I pushed you away, do you know why?" Tadayoi shakes his head. "By now you should know about that promise to get into Toudai with the promised girl. And because of that I tried endlessly to get in working on an impossible goal as everyone said but along the way you were there at the back of my head telling me to give up and to pursue my own dreams and not others, to be happy and not make myself suffer. How I should've listen to you but I was too stubborn to listen I was so blinded by the idea of happiness that I ignored you completely. You always wanted what was best for us but… huh being me I was too stupid to listen." His eyes began to water but he held back the tears.  

"So that's why; compared to all that, this really was paradise." Tadayoi said as another piece of the imaginary puzzle fell into place. "But why did you just sit back and let me take control?"

"If I had taken control you would've remembered everything. The truth is I denied you of life because of my selfishness and I wanted you to enjoy it and if you have known about your past you wouldn't, at least one of us would've been happy that way."

"But I would've eventually remembered though." He followed Keitaro as he began to leave the room.

"I know but I had hoped that before then you would've fallen for Reiko-chan and it would've worked too if they hadn't shown." Tadayoi knew he was referring to the girls.

"You're running away from your problems."

"I started that the minute I made that promise. I was running away from reality, I was fooled by the idea that happiness would come to me, I was an idiot to believe that…"

"_Happiness doesn't come to you, you have to go and find it yourself_." Tadayoi stopped as a sense of déjà vu descended upon him. He saw Keitaro turn back and looked at him. "I've said those words before. Haven't I?" Keitaro nods and another piece of the puzzle falls into place. And it was just then that he realised where he was back in the park. "Why are we here?"

"To see what started it all." He pointed to the sand pit where the 3 children played, Tadayoi tried to approach them but was stopped by Keitaro who told him to be quite and just watch. The two stood there and watched the events that unfolded before them one with recognition as memories came flooding back the other plainly watched.

"Kei-kun!" The young girl shouted out of the van window.

"Don't go!" The young Keitaro shouted whilst chasing the van and promptly fell.

"Remember! Toudai!" The girl shouted and faded into the mist.

Wiping away the tears the young boy stood up, clenching his fist he declared "I will make it into Toudai! I promise!" Slowly he faded too into the mist but his voice still echoed.

"…I promise…" Tadayoi mouthed and fell to his knees, one more piece of the puzzle fell into place but there was still one piece missing.

"Do you remember now?" Keitaro walked up to him.

"Yes." He got up slowly. "But there's still one more thing I'm not too sure."

"Hmm? What?" This time it was Keitaro's turn to be surprised.

"Narusegawa."

"…" Keitaro remained silent.

"I can tell that you love her, I can see it in your eyes… feel it in our heart." He placed his hand over his chest to emphasize his point.

"I said it before, it was never love…"

"Then what was it?"

"I was drawn to her I admit that but it wasn't love it was an obligation." Tadayoi raised an eyebrow "She was my promise girl I had an obligation to fulfil our promise to her, though I honestly forgot about her I was still drawn to her. Strange how memories can be so subtle. What we had back then was more of a crush not love, we were just innocent kids playing house. It's not like what you have between Reiko."

"But don't we owe Narusegawa?"

"We do but…"

"_A promise means nothing until it's done._" The two said at the same time.

"Those were your words Tadayoi, though I never let anything you said before bother me those words did and you know what, you're right. You always were." There was a long pause. "So what will it be?" He said and then the entire background shattered into a thousand pieces leaving the two standing in front of a cross road in the pitch darkness, the path suddenly radiated a strange light. The left path suddenly extended and there appeared Hinata Sou and at the same time the right path also extended leading to a familiar beach. "The left or the right path." He pointed to the two paths. "I've denied you of life long enough and I think I'm sick of life now, so it's time I step aside and let you choose and I'm sure… you'll choose the correct path." He kept his head down and stepped aside.

"What will happen to you?" Tadayoi asked concern in his voice.

"Over time I'll assimilate into you we'll become one again I won't push you away anymore… enjoy life. I'll be watching through our eyes." He walked up to Tadayoi "Now it's your choice. To relive our past and be Urashima Keitaro again." He looked at the path on his left, "Or embrace our future and be Kane Tadayoi the name that was given to you." He looked at the right path. "Choose. Remember I will support whatever choice you make, you always did have the most common sense maybe that's why _I_ never got into Toudai." He laughed but quickly became serious again.

Closing his eyes Tadayoi thought about all of this. "You know I always wondered what life would be like if it weren't for that promise." He scratched his head.    

"That's why we're here. This is a second chance."

"Yeah. We been through a lot haven't we?" Tadayoi reminiscences.

"Yeah." Keitaro agreed "It's sure has been a hell of a journey. But it's strange, it was the promise that started this all and now it's gonna end it." The two paused to think about those words.

"Keitaro." The said person turned to him. "Thanks for everything." He extended his hand out to him.

"No, thank you." He shook his hand and then released it, bit by bit his body faded. "Remember I'll be watching. And this time I'll do the nagging." He half smiled and then completely faded. "Remember, I'll be watching. For once choose with your feelings not your head." His voice resonated.    

"Bye." Turning to the two paths Tadayoi looked at them both. Taking a deep breath Tadayoi closed his eyes and walked down his chosen path guided by an unknown force. Then as he opened his eyes again he was at his destination the place in which this force guided him.

"Tadayoi!" A voice called to him in the darkness.

"Reiko-chan!" He immediately recognised the voice, looking around he tried to find the source.

"Tadayoi! Wake up!" Another voice called.

"Narusegawa?" He looked around even more. Feeling faint he fell to the floor and back into the darkness, the voices were getting louder and frequent, it was time for him to return to the real world and face the consequences of his decision.

"God's sake Tadayoi! Wake up!" Reiko gently tapped Tadayoi's cheek "Please…" She pleaded through tears.

"Tadayoi!" Naru tried to approach his unconscious body but was pushed back by Reiko.

"Stay away from him! This was all your fault to begin with!" She shouted accusing not only Naru but also the rest of the girls standing behind her. "All of you just get away from him!" 

"Reiko-chan, quite. He needs to rest." Dr. Ishida placed a hand on Reiko's shoulder stopping her ranting. As soon as she heard about Tadayoi she immediately rushed to the Kane household where he was taken, as it was very close, she did everything within her power to revive Tadayoi. Majority of his wounds were bandaged and he was currently laying on the blood stained couch surrounded by the girls and whilst there she also bandaged up the two girls as well although they didn't really care about their injuries. "Listen all of this has strained us quite a bit, I mean it's been 4 hours now and it's nearly 10:30. I think it's best if you girls get some rest and I'll stay to look over him we can't risk moving him anymore as it is." She wedged herself between the 2 warring fractions.

"Alright Doc, but I'll stay by him as well." Reiko knelt beside Tadayoi and clenched his hand.

"So will I." Naru suggested 

"No, you won't!" Reiko angrily replied, "This is my house and I don't want any of you here!" She stood up and indicated for them to leave.

"Reiko! You know full well he's our manager and he's our responsibility!" Naru retorted.

"And your proof being that DNA thing you shoved me a few hours ago? You expect me to believe that? It could be all made up for all I know, it's useless!" Su seemed hurt by that comment.

"Listen…"

"No! You listen…" Before the argument could progress any further a moan stopped them.

"My aching head…" Tadayoi complained as he sat up rubbing his head.

"Tadayoi!!" The entire group gathered around him.

"Amazing! You shouldn't even be alive! Now you're fully conscious!" Dr. Ishida shinned a little flashlight in his eye examining him

"That's our manager, invincible as usual." Kitsune joked.

"Yeah, but God Narusegawa that was the hardest you ever hit me, never thought I could fly that far." The girls went silent. "What?"

"Did you just say that that was the hardest she'd ever hit you?" Kitsune asked, he nods. "Does that mean?" He nods again.

"Yeah, I remember everything." He smiles at them. After a short period of silence all the girls cheered and hugged their long lost manager, even Dr. Ishida was happy everyone was happy, everyone but Reiko that is. Seeing the joy on Tadayoi's face as the girls continued to crowd around him she knew she had lost, turning she dashed out of the house. "Reiko-chan!" Tadayoi called out, pushing past the girls he tried to pursue her. He didn't get far however, as he reached the front porch a hand holding his wrist stopped him, it was Naru.

"Come on Keitaro, we can go back to Hinata Sou now." She said pulling on his hand.

"But Reiko-chan." He resisted her.

"Forget about her." She told him. "We're together again, so let's go back." She gave him a small smile, however he didn't respond the way she had expected him to.

"Narusegawa, I'm really happy that we're together again but the truth is… I don't want to go back, I want to stay here." She slowly lets go of his hand.

"Why?" She whispered. 

"Even if I did went back, after all of this it wouldn't be the same anymore. No, it wouldn't." He sadly told her.

"How could you?" Naru screamed. Tadayoi was shocked as were the rest of the girls. "After all of this. I spent 9 months looking for you, some said I was insane, some even said you were dead but I never gave up… I wanted to see you again and I finally did a month ago. I was so happy but then I found out you had amnesia it seemed as though everything was stacked against me but I never gave up, I wanted us to return to the way it was before all of this." Her face was covered by a shadow.

"Narusegawa."

"And don't you remember our promise to go into Toudai together?" He slowly nods. "What about that? Wasn't it a promise?" He exploded in his face.

"You mean the one when we were kids in the park." He stared at her.

"What?" Naru was confused.

"Don't you remember? When we were very young, in the sand pit, remember?" He approached her, her being in deep thought. "So you've forgotten…" Then it finally struck.

"I, was your promised girl…" She looked into her eyes.

"Yes, you were."

"This is perfect!" Kitsune interrupted.

"Even though you are I still can't go back, I'm sorry." 

"Why?" Naru stepped in front of him. "You said you'd fulfil our promise." 

"Narusegawa, did _you_ even remember our promise before I mentioned it to you." She doesn't reply. "I thought so." He tried to leave but she side stepped to stop him.

"So was that your only reason. The only reason you tried so hard was that promise?" 

"Yes."

"You're a idiot! How can you base your life solely around a stupid childish promise?" She yelled at him, "How can you be so selfish? How? How…" 

Smack!

All of time stood still as everyone witnessed the event that they thought could never happen. Falling to her knees Naru slowly placed a hand to her swollen cheek, looking up slowly disbelieve in her eyes she came eye to eye to Tadayoi his hand still extended in the air, he had hit her. Bit by bit tears made their way to her eyes not because of the pain on her face but the pain from her heart.

"How dare you. Of all the people in the world, how dare _you_ call me selfish." He placed his hand back to his side. "All my life I worked so hard, against all hope and I suffered for it so that I can see you again… everything that I've done, it was all for you. And you… how dare you call my promise childish, idiotic, and selfish?" Tadayoi stared angrily at her. "You never took heart to our promise did you? It was just a game to you, but to me it was a promise for life." He turned and began to walk away to find Reiko.

"Then you're breaking your promise?" Naru asked still on the floor.

"No, truth is _you_ already broken our promise…you never intended to keep our promise in the first place." He took another step.

"What kind of fool would take a promise that seriously?" Naru shouted in between sobs however she immediately regretted what she had said.

"I see…" Tadayoi stopped dead in his tracks. "You're right, I am a fool. A fool for ever believing that you loved me, heh, it's funny really." He said without even turning again he proceeded to leave.

"But… I do love you…" Naru finally confessed and it seemed to have an effect as he stopped. Finally he turned to face Naru tears falling from his face.

"I've waited to hear those words from you for such a long time." He looked down "But they don't mean anything to me anymore. Perhaps if you had said them to me sooner, all of this could've been avoided. Then it might've meant something to me, back then I was willing to give you my soul and heart but that was then and now is now. I'm sorry I don't feel that way about you anymore."

"Please… don't leave me…" Naru pleaded between heavy sobs. "Please…" One by one the remaining girls went over to Naru to comfort her, all of them holding back their tears their family was breaking up.

"I'm sorry, maybe I would've still felt something for you if I hadn't met her." 

"Please, I don't want to lose you for ever…please…" She reached out to his retreating form.

"Urashima!" Motoko's voice stopped him. "Naru-sempai is pouring out her heart and soul to you and you're going to just walk away?" she pointed her sword to his back.

"And I've never done that before? In the past I would've been the one doing all the pouring but did I ever get any response, no, just rejection. That hurts you know, to be turned down by the one you thought you loved." He sensed her prepare to strike. "Motoko-chan." He summoned his blade. "You've already seen the power one blade today don't make me show you the power of another. Please." She eased off and he released the blade vanishing in a flash of fire. "Good bye everyone."

"Keitaro, please…"

"Naru…" He called her by her first name. "I don't think it was ever meant to be for us… I don't feel it."

"But I feel it. And I've been feeling it for a very long time but I was too afraid to admit it, I was afraid of the change it would bring. I was afraid that it might not have worked between us and that you would stop loving me, I didn't want to be hurt." Naru silently told him.

"I would've never hurt you."

"I know but I was too stupid. Please come back, we can make it work like it should have in the first place."

"You don't understand! It's not the same anymore! I've experienced so much since I left Hinata Sou, I can't just leave it all behind." He fists clenched at his sides his mind still wavering between now and then.

"But I love you."

"If only you had said that sooner. I would've been very happy."

"Keitaro! Please!" She tried to reach for him.

 " Stop! That's enough, I think maybe it's best if we were to never see each other again." That comment had impact on all the girls. "It's for the best that you all return to Japan and never return so that we can all forget about this awful memory." He told them coldly.

"Keitaro, no… I know you don't mean that…" Naru shook her head.

"My name's not Keitaro anymore… its Tadayoi. Goodbye Naru, I hope you have a happy life." With that he ran off. 

"Urashima!" Motoko was about to give chase but seeing the state Naru was in she didn't. The girls now all around each other gave as much comfort as they can to each as they knew the happiness they once had had just left, it was all but a distant memory now. 

Panting and heaving Tadayoi runs down a long path in the silent darkness, numerous conflicting thoughts going through his head. (" Why did this all have to happen to me?") He asked himself (" Never mind, I have to find Reiko-chan. I hope she hasn't done anything stupid.") He picks up his pace and speeds along.

Finally he reaches his destination and just as he thought she was there. "I knew you'd be here." He said walking up to Reiko.

"Stay back!" She called out not having the stability to face him.

"But Reiko-chan!"

"What are you doing here? Haven't you got all your memories back now, like you always wanted? Happy now?" Her voice seemed strained.

"It's not like that?" 

"What? You always wanted your memories and now you have them, now you're going to just leave!"

"Memories aren't important if none of them involve you." She shutters slightly. "It's true that I remember everything and though the memories I had with the girls were rather… happy ones, my greatest memories were the ones with you and I'd like to have many more with you, that is if you'd let me." Her back still facing him she remains silent. (" Great, it's gonna be no. I knew it was too cheesy.")

"Tadayoi-kun, can I tell you a story. A story I'm very fond of, one that is very close to my heart and forever in my memories, the story that my mother always told me."

"Er…sure." He sounded unsure.

"Once upon a time there was a very noble warrior who lived in a far away land, there he was know as a valiant warrior protecting the defenceless and he was loved by all. But one day his brothers turned on him in the struggle for power but being the kind soul that he was he refused to fight his own brothers and thus was defeated, his injured body was hurled off a mighty cliff and he was left to drown. But the Gods favoured him and thus spared his life carrying him to a peaceful island, when he drifted upon its sandy beaches a beautiful young maiden happened to have come along and helped him back into the town. There he was nursed back to health and the instant that the warrior laid eyes upon his saviour he fell in love with her. In time their loved deepened and soon they were wed and had a beautiful child…"    

"They were your parents…" He said for once putting one and one together.

"Yeah…you know I always thought it was just a fairy tale but I still like it. Mum would always hold my little hand and take me along this beach." She saw the surprised expression on his face. "Yes Tadayoi-kun, the same beach that you washed up on was the same beach that my dad washed up on 25 years ago." She looks up to the starry night sky. "I always dreamed of something like that happening to me and I thought it did when I met you." She finally turned to face him her eyes red from all the crying. "How you and I met couldn't be just a coincidence, it was fate."

"I was thinking that too."

"Tadayoi-kun, even when you were unconscious there was something about you that made me attached to you. Just looking at you made me tingle. And when you finally opened your eyes and we finally met for the first time, I felt something there, it was faint but there was a unmistakable brush of recognition between us…a kindred spirit perhaps, someone like me who was waiting. I don't know about you, but from that moment I knew I had found the one I had been looking for all this time, Tadayoi-kun, did you feel that way?" She asked him anticipation in her eyes.

"I felt…yes, actually I did. Like I met someone who I knew and missed, at first it was all cloudy but now it's all clear to me now. What I felt was a spark from our flame." He stepped closer to her, "Reiko-chan, I love you." He placed his hands on her shoulder.

"Tadayoi-kun, I love you too." She burst into tears and buried her head in his chest. Under the starry night sky two young lovers confess their love for each other, the heavens shine with a brilliant shine and in the middle of it all two stars close to each other shines the brightest among the sea of stars and a shooting star flies across the sky. The final piece of Tadayoi's mental puzzle falls into place, that piece was never his but the memories of someone else.

End of chapter 13

Sorry if this chapter was very late and rather confusing I have a habit of doing that but eh there are other things to celebrate. 

But on another note, ha ha! I've done it! I've destroyed Naru's soul! Why destroy the body when you can destroy the spirit, where as the body can always heal from a wound, a wound to the soul may never heal and the pain forever there tormenting you till the end of life itself!! Ha ha ha ha!! Ah… forget it, the truth is I don't hate Naru, hard to believe after what I put her through it's just that the way she treats Keitaro is just not right, I've heard of a love hate relationship but this is way out of proportion, the constant beatings and such you just don't do that! 

But then again I can't really blame her, the way I see it is this, the reason she feels insecure is because of her family background, after her mother remarried she felt that her mother abandoned her and there was no room for her in her mother's life, she was devastated to say the least but I think she was more lost though and that she wanted to get away from it all, that's probably why she agreed to move in to Hinata Sou with Kitsune in the first place. And from then on I think she didn't interact much with others, though I could be wrong, she didn't want to get particularly close to anyone perhaps fear of abandonment again. Then came Seta in which she developed a crush but I think this was more of a phase rather than the real thing, finally we have Keitaro our star. I know everyone out there thinks she treats him rather 'harshly' but she has her reasons, at first it's because she labelled him pervert and absolutely pummelled him but later on she developed feelings for him it's not the same as Seta however, it's the type that…how do I say this? Love? Of course she denies it like Hell, but she slowly comes to terms with it and she tries to hides this by abusing him but in reality she does care. She just doesn't want him to get close, since she doesn't want to get hurt again though she wants him to know she does care for him, trust me I'm sure that whenever she hits Keitaro it hurts her as well pushing the one you love away like that but if she allows him to get close she fears that everything will change and so will Keitaro, she wants things the way it is now, though a bit selfish. Simply put she doesn't want to be like her mother, sort of. So she's in conflict with herself push him away or confess and she knows that he won't be around forever, probably why she became more kinder towards him towards the end of volume 10 because she thought she was about to lose him before she had a chance to tell him the truth finally leading to confession in volume 12, so in all family background, emotional conflict add all this together we get a very confused and volatile person, so please don't blame her too much. I'm gonna get a flaming for this aren't I? I myself can't believe I'm sticking up for her but I just wanted to make things clear, I despise it when people are wrongfully judged, prejudice, ah well…I guess another example of prejudice would be Kanako? 

Well this was my shot at her character and that's what I think but hey! I guess the only guy who can tell us the truth is Ken Akamatsu himself, no? And also if I've seen the anime it would've helped more, as I've never seen it. Ha ha, oh well any way next chapter is gonna be the last of the fic an epilogue, damn and I so enjoyed it in that case I better get cracking on my next fic. 

For any Naru fans out there, are there any? Don't worry I'll do justice in the epilogue so that both Naru and Anti-Naru fans will be satisfied, then again maybe I'll be a absolute jack ass and postpone the last chapter…hmm…nah, I know I'll be hunted down till the ends of the Earth and have a gun held against my head, ah well I'll just wait until I get the desired review count, how many? 15, maybe 20? Shrugs, don't know perhaps it depends on the contents of the reviews but I'm not too picky R+R. 

Ah, this was quite a chapter if it was too confusing for some of you heh heh sorry, fics regarding the recesses of the mind are very hard but hold so much possibilities, no? Anyway I'll love to see another fic where it deals with psychology as… interesting as mine. There are good ones of course from one particular author that I'm particular fond of but they're all so… depression, hey lighten up! I won't mention names, I don't want to embarrass anyone, unless they want to.   

PS sorry about all this sentimental stuff, I personally feel that this chapter wasn't really that good and I hate myself for it, well we can't have everything.      


	14. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I don't owe Love Hina, last time I'll say that in this fic.

AN: Haa… the final chapter, sure has been a long way… almost a year, and about that I discovered something rather weird have any of you noticed that the day I first published this fic was on the 3rd of march 2003, 333 weird huh? Anyway thank you for everyone who reviewed my last chapter and boy there were quite a few! Now, speaking of reviews there were one or two that didn't particularly like the last chapter, not in a bad way but in a way that didn't run smoothly with them and that they asked for a remake…er… well, the thing is there was supposedly a alternate chapter but the thing is I'm too tired, drained of ideas to make a alternate chapter and personally I don't think I can pull it off, I think… plus there would be others who won't be happy so I don't want to start a vicious circle, so for all the Naru/Keitaro fans, sorry, no alternate chapter. Sorry. Now finally the thing that everyone has been waiting for the last chapter of this fic, enjoy!   

Epilogue: A second chance at happiness- a second promise 

July 2002

It's been more than a year since that incident occurred and the girls decided that it was probably the best to leave and that they did the very next day without even saying goodbye. Things haven't quite been the same since then, everyone in Hinata Sou lost all their vigour Motoko was constantly training herself to eradicate all of her 'emotional weaknesses' but in the end she over did it and hurt herself and now she's just been discharged from the hospital after recovering from fatigue and muscle injuries. Shinobu lost her edge as well as shown in her decline in cooking skills, she would cook with half the normal enthusiasm now and then you would find an eggshell or two in your omelette or even some under cooked meat and so on but no one really noticed it as they were all in their own state of depression and then there were also the other chores they were either half complete or done horribly. Su, though always happy couldn't really be bothered anymore her inventions caused less and less chaos each day [Wouldn't Keitaro be happy if he had stayed] as there was no one to play with, she even walked instead of bouncing and running like she used to, though she tried to act as everything was OK on the outside and that Keitaro will come back soon they all knew better as Motoko said at nights Su would cry in her sleep about Keitaro. Kitsune… no explanation required, she's drunk, and we're talking really drunk since that day her alcohol intake almost doubled, gone with all the schemes and cons she wasn't really the fox anymore but a broken woman. Mutsumi having finally returned from China got the info from Tama about everything and she tried her best to cheer everyone up but to no avail and the fact that she was slightly heart broken as well didn't help but she stayed close in case they needed her. And then there was Naru she took things the worse, she dropped out of Toudai almost immediately as it brings back awful memories and then she would spend the rest of day locked up in her room regretting everything if only had been more decisive this wouldn't have happened she keeps telling herself. Occasionally she would sneak into Keitaro's old room and look at the various things and then cry to herself. This was the average day of Hinata Sou since that day, it wasn't the same without 'him' and speaking of 'him' they've never heard from him since and they didn't expect it either because of they way they had treated him they had wanted to say sorry but never got the chance, in away they knew they deserved it but still they wanted to see him at least one more time and tell him how they really felt. 

Walking up the stairs of Hinata Sou Haruka contemplates what she will tell the girls about the news, after a while she decided she should tell it straight and not sugar coat it they've deserve that at least. "Girls." She called out opening the door and winced at the sight before her all the girls were just laying there doing nothing like zombies. "Erm… girls I have something to tell you all." No response. "It's about Keitaro…" that caught everyone's attention they all had the same look in there eyes. 

"Why? What's going on?" Kitsune asked.

"Is Sempai alright?"

"What has happened to Urashima?"  They all asked Haruka worryingly all that is but Naru.

"You see, I just got a letter from him and well… it's an invitation."

"To what?" Motoko inquired.

"It's a wedding invitation." She let the words sink in "Keitaro and Reiko are getting married in 3 days time."

Stunned silence.

"This is a joke right?" Kitsune probed. Haruka just shakes her head and hands her the envelope, everyone including Naru this time crowded around Kitsune as read the letter out. "I can't believe that this is real."

"We're really going to lose him." Motoko stated.

"Sempai, we haven't told you that we're sorry." Shinobu cried out on Kitsune.

"Naru…" Kitsune turned to her friend on the couch. 

"But why are you telling us, Haruka-san?" Motoko readjusted herself and asked.

"Because…" She lit a cigarette noting the expression on their faces. " This could be like the final chance to persuade him…" she looks at Naru "If you know what I mean and don't let it go. Personally I'm too busy so I can't go so er erm." She shrugs and tosses the invitation on to the desk. "You lot decide, I have a tea shop to run." Giving the girls a wave Haruka left them to decide.

"So what do you think?" Kitsune mused.

"Sempai said he never wanted to see us again, remember?" 

"True…" Motoko nodded sadly.

"Naru, I think you should go." Kitsune slammed her hands on the table.

"What, why me? He said he didn't want to see me." Naru managed to answer after snapping out of her state of shock.

"Yeah but think about it. He might've changed his name but he's still Keitaro! That means deep inside he still has feelings for you. No buts!" She stopped Naru's protest "Yes he might've said he never wanted to see you again but it's about a year he's probably cooled off by now, true he has Reiko now but maybe just maybe you can get through to him. It's your last chance Naru, take it by the throat and don't let go! Push all doubts aside." Kitsune stared deep into her friend's eyes.

"Naru-sempai, kitsune's right this is probably our, I mean your last chance to persuade Urashima!" Motoko threw in her thought.

"Go for it Naru-sempai!" Shinobu chimed.

"Yeah, go get him back!" Su jumped around her vigour returning to her.

Looking around Naru saw the support that they were giving her. "Thank you." She whispered tears welling in her eyes. "You're all right, I've got to tell him!" Naru declared.

Aoi island 3 days time daybreak

"Sighs… I can't believe it's been so long." Tadayoi mused looking out the window.

"Mmm… what?" Reiko hugged him from behind.

"You know it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding." He turned to her.

"That's western superstition, is it? But I don't care." She kissed him. "At noon today we'll be Mr and Mrs Kane or would you prefer Urashima?" She teased him.

"No, that name brings back memories." 

"Ok, I understand." She kissed him again and walked off. "See you sweetheart."

"Mm… later." He turned back to the scenery. (" I can't believe it's been a year since I've heard from the girls maybe I was a little too harsh on them, I wish I can say sorry but I can't call them I don't know how they'll take it and I don't want to upset Reiko.") He sighs again. " Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" 

Aoi airport some time later

"Seta-san, thanks for the lift." Naru thanked her former mentor as she unsteadily walks out of the upside down bi-plane.

"No problem." Seta replied putting a band aide to his bleeding head. 

"Alright, this is it Naru. No turning back now. Tell him how you really feel." She clenched her fist in determination. "Now, where's the church." She took out her invitation and map. "Ah." She looked up from the map. "There it is." She inhales deeply "Let's go." 

"How do you feel Tadayoi-kun?" Granddad asked the young man.

"A bit nervous." He adjusts his bow tie in front of the mirror. "I mean this is a life commitment I'm about to make." He struggles even more so granddad helps him out.

"Don't worry, you two will be just fine." He reassured him. "There." 

"Thanks." He turned to face himself in the mirror. (" Can I really do this?")

"You better hurry up, we only have about an hour or two left." Granddad gestured at the clock.

"I know."

"I'll see you down the isle then, I've got to go check on Reiko after all I am giving her away." He turned to leave but Tadayoi stopped him.

"Where's the best man?" He asked.

"Dr Ishida is here already, strange having a woman as the best man… but then there was nobody else and she particularly threw herself into the role even if it meant wearing a tux." He stroked his chin before leaving the young man alone.

"I wonder if I'm doing the right thing? Sure I'm happy getting married but I feel as if something's missing." He said to himself and felt a chill running down his spine.

It was now noon and everyone, almost the entire town has now settled down for the ceremony. The organ player began playing the organ playing the classic here comes the bride and down the isle stood Tadayoi in his white tux [I can't be bothered with the details think volume 14] with Dr Ishida by his side wearing the traditional black best man's tux telling him not to worry too much. Then finally the bride came through the doors escorted by Granddad, never has Tadayoi ever seen such a stunning sight, there she was slowly walking down the isle dressed in an elegant white silk wedding dress which made her even more beautiful than usual, a thing he thought quite impossible she was already beautiful enough. As she came up to him granddad handed her over placing her hand into the young man's hand, then the minister said his verses and then the couple exchanged vows of their own, some people cried, Kame especially he was blowing his snout with a hankie the reason for him being there in the first place was because he was invited for the party celebration afterwards mainly the BBQ roast not that he mind. 

"Now that the couple have said their vows, is there anyone who object to their union?" The minister asked crowd.

"I do!" The doors burst open revealing Naru on the other side.  

"You!?" Reiko spat out venomously "What are you doing here?" 

"Myah!!" Kame readied himself.

"I've come to see Keitaro." She marched towards the two ignoring the stares the people were giving her. 

"Myah!" Kame opened his mouth and flames began to gather but he was stopped by granddad.

"Naru, why are you here?" Tadayoi asked mixed feelings swirled inside him.

"Keitaro… I just wanted to say sorry." She looked down at the floor. "Sorry for everything that I've done to you and I don't blame you if you never forgive me and I know I can't persuade you to come back with me but believe me when I say this, I love you, I always have but I was too afraid to admit it." She faced him tears in her eyes "And I want what is best for you, I wanted to be one to make you happy I really did but if you think that being with Reiko will make you happy I won't stop you." Now she turns to the stunned Reiko and took her hand. "Reiko, please don't make the same mistakes that I did." Reiko smiles a genuine smile at Naru and nods. "And promise me that you'll look after him."

"I will and thank you, it takes a lot to let someone go like that and I hope that you will forgive me for all the things that I've done to you." 

"Naru, I…" Naru stopped him with a kiss to his lips. Shocked he couldn't react to it until she broke the kiss.

"Bye Keitaro, I hope you have a happy life." She turned and ran tears running down her face.

"Naru!" He was about to chase after her but stopped when he realised that Reiko was next to him "Reiko-chan, I…" 

"I know, just go." She turned him in Naru's direction.

"Thanks." He whispered something into her ear before he took after Naru.

"You're just going to let him go?" Dr Ishida asked.

"Don't worry he'll be back." 

"Naru!" Tadayoi shouted after Naru making her stop.

"Why did you follow me?" 

"Well, I wanted to say something to you too." He approached her and noted that they were in the church's backyard with the lush green grass beneath them and over looking the ocean. "Naru, a lot has happened hasn't it? I mean two years ago life was much simpler but know this… do you sometimes wish that we could go back to that time?" He looked up at the sky.

"Yeah, I do." 

"But we can't can we?" 

"No, I suppose not... just what are you getting at Keitaro?"

"What I'm getting at is that we can't go back to that time but we still have the memories don't we?" He placed his hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "Though I can't love you anymore the way I used to I can still care for you as a friend and I care too much about you to let you walk out of my life like that, so what I'm trying to say is… will you forgive me and let us be friends again just like the old times?" 

"Only if you forgive me." She hugged him.

"You know I always will." He returned the hug. "Now come on, we have to get back to the wedding or else Reiko will think I've ran off with you and she'll get mad, and believe me when she gets mad it's scary." He joked.

"Worse that me?" she jabbed at him.

"Much worse." Both laughed "I wish everyone else was here I wanted to apologise to them as well."

"That can be arranged." A voice sounded from the trees.

"Kitsune?" Naru looked up at the trees and there she saw Kitsune as well as the rest of the Hinata gang.

"Heh heh. You caught us." Kitsune landed.

"I thought you were all back at Hinata Sou because you said that if we all came it might worry Keitaro and he'll take it the wrong way."

"Well, that was the plan but we got so worried that we came using Su's invention."

"Yep yep mecha-tama's a go go!" Su danced around.

"I'm glad everyone's here." Tadayoi smiled.

"So are we!" they all responded.

"So do you all forgive me?"

"Sure we will." They all hugged him at the same time causing him to get a nosebleed due to certain parts of the female anatomy that he was smothered with.

"Heh heh it seems like he's still the same old pervert!" they all laughed.

"Come on, we need to get you back to the wedding. I mean you can't be late!" Naru hosted him up and they all walked back to the church together, deep inside Tadayoi smiled to himself this was what he was missing all along. Back at the church after many stares and explanations the wedding proceeded wonderfully, everyone cried and cheered as the two kissed. 

"You know I'm happy for the two of you." Naru munched on the cake. "Mmm… good."

"Thanks Naru, I'm glad your OK with this. Mmm, it is good." Tadayoi replied whilst dodging Tama as Su chased her.

"Hey Reiko I stepped aside so you better make him a happy man." Naru jabbed at the new Mrs.

"Oh, I will. Just you wait until tonight sweetheart." Reiko snaked an arm around her husband and the two women laughed at his reaction.

"I'm going to miss those days." Naru sadly said.

"…" Tadayoi turned to his wife and she nodded. "You know Naru after our honey moon we figured we'd still have plenty of time so… we were wondering if was ok with you and the girls that we stay at Hinata Sou for a while."

"Really?!" She stared at the two disbelievingly.

"Yeah, it's OK with me. Besides I always wanted to see this Hinata Sou of yours anyway." Reiko shrugged.

"So can we?" He stopped as he received a fierce bear hug from Naru. "I'll take that as a yes… can't breath…"

"Hey, hey! That's my husband you're holding, get your own!" Reiko complained and then laughed. The rest of the wedding went like that, it was chaotic and wild just like a normal party at Hinata Sou. 

Next day Airport

"I'll see you soon then." Naru said to Tadayoi holding his hands gently in hers.

"Yeah." He smiled at her and looked at the girls behind her boarding the plane. "By the way Reiko and I have a gift for you." He turned to Reiko who on hearing her name walked up to the two and held out a small pendent in her hands.

"Take it. It's a good luck charm." She notices Naru's sceptic look "Don't worry, it's the real deal this time. Me and Tadayoi got it blessed ourselves." She shoved it into Naru's hands.

"Thank you." She examined the silver pendent and noticed the four swords engraved on it. "What are these?"

"It's a symbol, may the four swords protect you. I never did knew what to do with it, so I want you to have it as a memento of our time together." Reiko shrugged.

"A memento eh?" She looked at it again "I wish I had something to give you as well." 

"Don't worry about it." Tadayoi told her and waved it off.

"So… this is goodbye?" Naru asked sadly.

"For now." He corrected her. "We'll come and visit."

"Right!" Reiko jabbed in.

"Right." Naru smiled "Goodbye then." She gave Tadayoi a quick hug and left. "Remember come soon!" she waved as she reached the door of the plane.

"We will!" The two waved back at the slowly disappearing plane. 

"Well, sweetheart ready to start our new life together?" She nudged her new spouse.

"Heh, heh." He just laughed idiotically and scratched his head.

"What type of answer is that?" she playfully hit him who dodged and ran. "Hey! Get back here and take it like a man!" she chased after him.

Off in the distance two figures observed the two. "Did you expect this to happen?" Granddad said to his companion.

"No." the short female form replied "But at least it turned out alright and the wedding was excellent." She nodded.

"Mmm." Granddad nodded and looked up at the sky. "So, who'll inherit Hinata Sou now?"

"I don't know. Since I'm sure he won't leave her side… so until I've decided I'll talk to Haruka-chan and ask her to look after it for now… but I'll probably leave it to Kanako-chan when she's ready." The woman nodded and noted the helicopter above them. "Here's my ride." She grabbed onto the rope ladder. "I'll see you again Ichiro-san!"

"Indeed, Hina-san!" He waved at the retreating figure.

"Did you hear that?" Tadayoi asked.

"What? You mean that helicopter? Ah, it's not like you've never seen one before." Reiko shrugged releasing him from a headlock. "Come on, we need to get packing!" She dragged him back to their home.

"Yeah, sure." The bright sun hung high in the sky shining with might signalling the beginning of a new day. A lone cherry blossom petal gently glides through the air and landing in the middle of the clear blue ocean.

Years later

Eight years have passed since that day and everyone have gotten on with their lives. First there was Shinobu possibly the most successful out of them all, after finishing her first movie she caught the attention of a famous movie producer in Japan and began starting in other movies, all of which where instant hits and eventually she made it to Hollywood where she stared in even more films and became a world renown actress known for her sweet innocent demeanour on the silver screen and winning the hearts of millions. She even owns her own line of fashion wear, some of which were her personal design called 'Shinobu-wear' which is as popular as she is. Right now she's staring in her latest movie 'A love so close yet so far' the story is about a young girl in love with another man who only sees her as a little sister and she competes with this other girl from the man's promise for his affection, the critics say this will be her best movie yet and will defiantly get her the Oscar for best actress yet again. 

Kitsune reduced her drink load and finally stopped job hoping, settling down she started writing which was mainly about the activities of Hinata Sou though she based it on real life it was widely accepted as fictional work by the mass public as majority of the contents where mainly impossible, so they think. Apart from that nothing else changed about her, she still lazes around but lately there have been rumours running through Hinata Sou that she's been seeing something but she's keeping it all hush-hush.     

Motoko after learning more about the art of the sword from the Kane family, as she often travelled to the island and spared with Reiko learnt that the true art of the sword those not lie within the power of the sword but instead the sword within the warrior and in order to truly obtain the title 'Greatest Swordswoman' one must make peace with one self and thus obtain harmony and balance. Carrying this state of mind she challenged her sister back in Kyoto and successfully defeated her, though after many attempts. Though she is the sensei of the dojo she still remains in Hinata Sou where she continues to home her skills, and quite a while ago she became an aunt for the second time.

Su returned to her home country and turned down all of her suitors, actually they all ran away after seeing 'Mecha-Tama Version Omega: Seek-Kill-Destroy-Grill-Slice-Dice war machine' but unfortunately it went AWOL as usual and required her entire home country's military to take it down. It took 4 months but they won after the thing's plutonium reactor core ran out of energy but the thing didn't go out with a whimper though it went out with a bang, a really big bang but thankfully it was near the desert the 100 mile blast radius didn't reach the major city but the shock waves did. So until they rebuild the city Su will remain at Hinata Sou until further notice… which could be forever, it was a really big mess.

Mutsumi decided to stay at Aoi Island with Tama keeping the married couple company but mainly as Dr Suzuki's assistant, the head of the turtle breeding programme and so far everything's been great they even managed to breed a turtle which can retract into it's shell and look like a watermelon nobody knows how they did it though. Carrying out her education on the Island Mutsumi soon graduated along with Tadayoi, Naru and Reiko and generally remained her same old self, still ditzy but her health is improving as the sea air helps quite a bit. Tama hijacked Mecha-Tama version V and piloted it back to the desert to find the turtles again, how a turtle can pilot a massive and complex machine such as a Mecha-Tama will forever remain a mystery along with the secrets of the Turtle Civilization.  

Seta and Sarah didn't change much except Seta paid off all of his debts after he recovered a incredibly rare artefact in the desert and sold it off to a British museum for a large sum of money, but unbeknownst to him the artefact was a sacred item belonging to a certain secret civilization and right now Seta is on the run from certain shelled creatures. His whereabouts are currently unknown to all expect Haruka who still keeps in contact with him, speaking of which their relationship has grown some what how much though nobody knows.

Dr Ishida wrote a report about the human mind in which it talks about how emotions can effect the mind even when the host themselves are unaware of it, this book became a vital instrument in the treatment of certain mental cases through out the world and gained global recognition. Finally after 3 almost death experiences she decided to sell off her arsenal of explosives but she did not however part with her 'fridge'. Suddenly one day when she entered her office she found that it had been stolen and no sooner after that a madman appeared on live TV threatening to blow up the world with a bomb, obviously extreme measures were taken and armed soldiers moved in to take him down but to everyone's surprise and especially the man involved they found out the bomb was a dud. Everyone laughed, expect the man and the soldiers enjoyed the beverage within the 'bomb' but they all went to the hospital afterwards due to uncontrollable bowl movements, Dr Ishida's favourite drink was You-go juice. The madman is now treated and ironically with the book that Dr Ishida wrote, sadly Dr Ishida never got her fridge back. 

And finally there was Reiko, Tadayoi and Naru whose fate was once again intertwined…

Isolated park

Gently a cherry blossom petal lands next to a woman on the bench, often the woman would look up from the book she was reading and check on the child playing away from her in the sand pit a small smile makes it way onto her lovely face. Time has done nothing to this woman, as she remains as beautiful as she was eight years ago pushing a stray strand of hair away she looks up to the sky and breaths in the autumn air, her gaze now again on the child only this time to be joined by another. Then from behind a man places a hand on her shoulder causing her to turn and upon doing so she smiles at the man.

"You're late." She told him.

"Yeah, sorry about that the traffic was awful." He scratched his head.

"So how many times did you crash this time?" 

"…3 times." He reluctantly answered.

"Figures." She smiles once again. "You know, he looks a lot like you when you were young." The woman indicated to the boy playing with the child.

"He is my son after all, though his eyes take after his mother. Say, that girl looks just like you!" The man pointed to the girl the boy was playing with.

"She's my daughter you baka!" The woman planted a fist on the topside of the man's skull. "Just like old times." She pulled out her fist and the two laughed.

"Ha ha, Naru… it's been a while hasn't it?" The man asked. "Sorry I haven't visited more but ever since… you know I thought I'd better give you some space and you having those managerial duties and all I thought it was for the better." The man sounded depressed.

"Tadayoi, I know you meant well and it's sad that he left me. I never thought I get married after letting you go but it just happened, I met him after I got back into Toudai and… he reminded me so much of you that I thought…" Naru paused "But in the end it wasn't meant to be he wasn't you and he realised that and left, but the strangest thing was I wasn't heart broken it was as if I knew it was coming." She finally stopped. Gently Tadayoi placed an arm around her.

"I'm sorry." He said and hugged her tighter.

"Don't." She snuggled against then let him go. "Don't want your wife to get jealous now, do we? There's already been one bad marriage we don't want two." She wagged a finger at him. "By the way where is Reiko?"

"She's back home looking after our baby girl, she's sure a hand full keeping us awake every night." He shakes his head.

"Ah… to be a parent again." She turns back to the kids. "Hey… Ta-Keitaro." He turns to her not having been called that in years. "Have you ever wondered what it would've been like if you and I got together? What our children would've been like? How our lives could've been different? Have you?" She asked him a hint of regret in her eyes.

"I have at times." He looks into her eyes. "But the way I figure it, fate has its ways of making things right and in the end it'll work out but it might take a long time though." He winches at his son as the girl slaps him and shouts pervert. " Look at our kids, who do they remind you of?"

"It's kinda like us when we were kids." Naru smiles

"Mmm hm, as a matter of fact it was at this exact park all those years ago that you and I made that promise." 

"To get into Toudai." He nods.

"I think our kids will fulfil our promise that we made."

"What do you mean?" She follows his gaze and sees the two linking their pinkies. "Oh, I see. So this is like our legacy passed on to our kids."

"Sort of, but I'd like to think of it as a second chance. To see what it would've been like if the promise succeeded but through our children."

"Do you think it'll work?" She leaned against him.

"Only time will tell." He leaned onto her as well.

"A second chance, huh? I like that." She finished thinking of the days of her past and wondered what it would've been like if she had that second chance but she knew she wouldn't need to wait long as it'll soon be revealed to her through her daughter but for now she's content being that she once and still loved. "I wonder, a second chance…hmm." She whispered.

"You know kei-kun, I hear my mommy say that if two people go to Toudai together they'll find happiness there?" The girl patted on the sand.

"Really? That's what my daddy said too!" Young Keitaro scratches his head just like his dad.

"So it must be true!" The young girl clasped her hands together. "So let's go together! OK?" 

"Really, Na-chan? You'd want to go with me?" She nods. 

"Let's pinkie promise!" She extends her pinkie to him and he takes it with his own. 

"We now pinkie promise, now and forever!" The two chanted.

"There's one more thing Kei-kun." Nako blushes slightly as she moves in and kisses him on the cheek and holds on to her pendent with the engraving of the four swords. "I swear onto this pendent that my mommy gave me that I'll wait for you." There was a sparkle in her eyes when she said that, it was as if her mother spoke those words instead of her.

"And I'll wait for you." He replied

Under the autumn sky two young lovers renew the promise that their parents once made to each other, the promise lives again but now through the second generation. A second chance at what could've been.

Footfalls echo in the memory 

_Down the passage which we did not take_

Towards the door we never opened 

_Into the rose garden._

_T. S. Eliot 1888-1965: Four Quartets 'Burnt Norton' (1936)_

The end of 

**_'Second chance at happiness'_**

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AN: Well people, there we have it! The final chapter ha ha ha ha, finally and I am sorry about the delay I've been playing on Final Fantasy X-2 you see and I just got my first exam result, I failed so I have to do the re-sit. But never mind that I've finished. Also for the 8-year bit of the fic I was listening to Final Fantasy 9's 'Melodies of life' at that time so give it a try or with any music about the past is nice.

Now there's a few thing I'd like to say first lets get to the sour note it's about a certain reviewer Cevgar is that right? Who reviewed for chapter 7 it was a negative review, ok I accept that not everyone can be happy I'm alright with that but please could you at least tell me what was wrong with? Don't just tell me it sucks and leave it at that I can't improve if you don't tell me what's wrong and what's with that comment ' I won't read any more' if that's the way it goes I'd prefer that you didn't read my fic and get lost! But I commend you though at least you gave me a name minus the e-mail address there are some people who wouldn't even give a name.

Now the good bit, I am really grateful to all of you who reviewed me either through e-mail or whatever and I'd really like to thank everyone of you but that isn't quite possible, the truth is I'd never thought a rookie like me could get such a high rating not in my wildest dreams but I'm incredibly happy neither the less.

Again I thank you all and I'd also like to thank my pre-reader who made it all possible and without him this fic wouldn't have been as successful, hello I know you're out there thanks for everything! Also I'd like to ask for help from the general public does anyone and I don't care who, know how to up load so that the chapter stay in its original format as much as possible, please tell me step by step as I am a absolute techno idiot and quite frankly I'm surprised I can turn on the computer without it exploding on me, so please tell me in idiot term, please!!

And that's all I have to say, so for now good bye and keep an eye out on my next fic which will be about the 4 demon blades, it'll be R rated for the scenes of violence, demons and such so be warned! C ya! 

Jihi    

              


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